UK power consumption

[All Seeing Eye]

I'm trying to find out just how much power the UK uses per hour (peak time), I can't understand why a simple google search won't just give me a straight forward simple answer. I think it's about time there was a website created where this type of information is easily accessible. When I search for the answer all I get are answers for how much power a desktop computer uses or the amount of power a Nintendo Wii uses, it's ridiculous.

Does anybody know the answer to this?

 

[cultcross]

The fifth Google hit tells me the UK uses 348,700,000 MWh per year, so you can work out per hour from that.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

What was your search query?

It also doesn't tell me peak time consumption even if I worked it out per hour, because i'd get an average which wouldn't tell me peak daytime useage because it would take into account low night time usage.

 

[cultcross]

My search query was the title of this thread.

This site contains the available govt. data on UK energy usage.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I believe peak electricity demand in the UK is of the order of 100 Gigawatts.

Here's a fun calculator for dealing with future power shortages (if you like that sort of thing):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/06/electricity_calc/html/1.stm

Recent demand graphs are available here:

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Did you know the UK could be powered by 6 8,212MW nuclear power stations?

Did you know it would take 33,084 Wind turbines to power the whole UK?

Did you know we'd only need 12 4,116MW Coal-Fired power stations to power the UK?

 

[cultcross]

Yes, only 12 of the largest coal plants in the world. We're saved!

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Yes, only 12 of the largest coal plants in the world. We're saved!

Yes, we build 12 of these large stations and then use carbon capture technology.

 

[Jadzia]

Tachyon, almost all of your ideas involve having 'larger sizes' don't they?

 

[All Seeing Eye]

you don't get anywhere with a small one.

 

[Jadzia]

Recent demand graphs are available here:

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/

It'll be worth watching this graph during the national 'Energy Hour' later on today 20:30 GMT I think it begins.

Who here reckons we won't see hardly any change in national demand? Or even the demand rise as people make a last second rush to brew up several mugs of tea so they have them available during energy hour.

-- me.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

I thought that hour thing was only happening in the US?

 

[Jadzia]

I thought that hour thing was only happening in the US?

It's international.

In our hour of darkness, our town is having torchlight processions, to recycle all our old brush handles, use up our old tea towels, and use up all of our spare petrol and diesel oil.

All recycling.

 

[cultcross]

It'll be worth watching this graph during the national 'Energy Hour' later on today 20:30 GMT I think it begins.

That's in the spirit of the thing

 

[mirandafave]

Recent demand graphs are available here:

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/

It'll be worth watching this graph during the national 'Energy Hour' later on today 20:30 GMT I think it begins.

Who here reckons we won't see hardly any change in national demand? Or even the demand rise as people make a last second rush to brew up several mugs of tea so they have them available during energy hour.

-- me.

Well if we sit around watching that graph we'd still be using our computers so I doubt it! Heh heh. But agree there'll be a spike to make tea afterwards - in fact I'm going to make a thermos of tea now in preparation so I'll avoid being one of those.

 

[Jadzia]

It'll be worth watching this graph during the national 'Energy Hour' later on today 20:30 GMT I think it begins.

That's in the spirit of the thing

Yes it is. I'll be watching it so that you and others don't have to, and can sit in the dark for an hour.

 

[mirandafave]

Thanks I'll check back on what you discover.

 

[cultcross]

It'll be worth watching this graph during the national 'Energy Hour' later on today 20:30 GMT I think it begins.

That's in the spirit of the thing

Yes it is. I'll be watching it so that you and others don't have to, and can sit in the dark for an hour.

Yes... Well no-one look at my 'online' light for the next hour or so.

 

[Jadzia]

Thanks I'll check back on what you discover.

Well this is the graph. I don't know how much of that drop is due to natural decline in demand as the evening develops, but it looks very smooth with no sharp drops, suggesting the our combined efforts were pitifully small. Hopefully the political message will be more substantial.

Notice the hump early in the evening -- which would include human activity around dinner time as well as switching most domestic and street lighting on at night fall. That should help put the numbers into perspective.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

You see on the graph where the power consumption is dropping? well that's because i've built my machine and hooked it up to the national grid without anyone knowing so it looks like less power is being used when really everyone is just using mine.