1000 YEARS OF ENERGY USE IN THE UNITED-KINGDOM

This paper examines the evolution of energy use and its influences in the United Kingdom over the very long run by combining economic litera ture and statistical information. The paper argues that the provision of energy services, mainly heat and power, is bound by the tensions be tween a changing growth rate and structure of economic activity and th e constraints of energetic resources. After periods of tension, energy price differentials, as well as the diffusion of technological innova tion and the development of new fuels, led to new mixes of energy sour ces to supply heat and power. This paper identifies three major change s that characterise the history of UK energy use: first, the dramatic increase in per capita energy use; second, the shift in methods of sup plying energy services, from biomass sources to fossil fuels, from coa l to petroleum to natural gas, and from raw forms to more value-added energy sources; and, third, the replacing of direct methods of generat ing power, from animate sources, wind and water, by the use of mechani cal and electrical methods, which have so far depended mainly on fossi l fuels. These changes were instrumental in influencing the relationsh ip between GDP and energy use, and also the levels of environmental po llution.