UK imported more than half of its gas and oil in the first quarter of 2021

Date:
Fri, 03 Sep 2021 12:56:20 +0000

Description:
The news comes as politicians call for oil and gas to be phased out

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According to Oil and Gas UKs annual economic report , 56% of the gas and oil required for homes and power stations between January and March 2021 came
from abroad. This was due to a drop in UK production caused by the pandemic and a rise in demand.

As a result, Oil and Gas UK has said that the UK now faces a choice of either investing in its offshore industry to create a managed green transition, or rely on other countries for its energy needs.

Due to this, several politicians are now calling for action, including Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater. Speaking about the report, she stressed that the UK should turn to sustainable energy sources and told the Scottish Parliament that oil and gas need to be phased out. Switch to green energy today: See the best deals in your area now How the UKs energy sector might change

For many, the report has been a wakeup call about the current status of the UKs energy sector. After all, it revealed that oil and gas still provided almost three-quarters of the UKs total energy last year.

When discussing the report, Oil and Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie
said we all know that change is needed so the question is how fast we make that change. This report shows the reality that cutting off the domestic production of oil and gas faster than we can reduce demand risks leaving us increasingly dependent on other countries."

However, although the report made it clear that 21bn could be invested in exploration and production over the next five years, some believe the focus should instead be on a shift to renewables rather than domestic production.

Speaking on Good Morning Scotland, Ms Slater said that we're definitely going to need to develop our renewable energy potential - luckily Scotland has enormous potential in this area.

She then added that we do need to phase out oil and gas. The plan is to have
a just transition. How does this news affect consumers?

Oil and Gas UKs report comes at a delicate time for the UKs energy sector. After all, the government is currently considering whether it should give the go-ahead to the Cambo oil field off the coast of the Shetland Islands.

This is because the government is under mounting pressure from climate change activists and is considering how the new oil field might impact on Scotlands climate change legislation, which has been described as world leading. This includes a target to reach net-zero emissions by 2045.

However, even if the Cambo plan does go ahead, then its likely well still see Scotland and the UK as a whole move towards renewables in years to come; particularly because the country has just set up a 450m fund for innovation
in the green energy sector.

If youd like to help the UKs transition to green energy in the coming years, then youll be pleased to hear that switching to a green energy tariff can help. The easiest way of doing this is by running an online energy comparison . After youve provided some details about your home and your energy use,
youll be shown all the best energy deals in your area from the UKs best
energy suppliers . You can then filter your results so you only see green tariffs. These are tariffs where: A portion of your bill is paid into a fund, which invests either in renewable energy projects (such as solar power, hydro-electric generation or wind farms), or in reforestation projects. Or
the supplier matches the amount of energy that you buy from them, with an equivalent amount of energy from renewable resources.

As an added bonus, while conducting your comparison, youll find that many of these deals save you money when compared with your current plan. So, you
could help save the planet and save some money at the same time.

Find the best energy deal for your home

TechRadar has partnered with GoCompare to help you find the best energy deals in your area. Our energy comparison tool takes less than five minutes to use, and could save you hundreds on your energy bills. Save money now



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/uk-imported-more-than-half-of-its-gas-and-oil-i n-the-first-quarter-of-2021/


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