Electric vehicles and heat pumps reduced UK fossil fuel consumption equivalent to 14 million barrels of oil in 2023

[London, 21 October 2024] New analysis from think-tank Ember shows that the growth of electric vehicles and heat pumps reduced oil and gas consumption in the UK last year by the equivalent of 14 million barrels of oil, or what the UK imports in a two week span.

Benefiting from the rise in clean power, electric cars use less than a third of the energy needed by petrol cars, and heat pumps use four times less fossil fuels than a gas boiler. This means that consumers purchase less energy to drive the same distance or to heat their homes, and reduces reliance on fossil fuel imports.

There were 1.5 million electric vehicles and 430,000 residential heat pumps in the UK in 2023. At the same time, the UK hit its highest ever share of clean electricity last year at 60%, also reducing the amount of fossil power needed to power electrified technologies.

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Although electricity demand will increase from electric vehicles and heat pumps, overall energy demand will fall because these appliances are much more efficient, as is generating power from clean sources.

A cleaner power system has lead to efficiency gains

Ember’s analysis revealed that the energy wasted in generating power has fallen by a fifth (21%) since 2000. In that time, wind and solar power have grown rapidly from almost zero, reaching a combined 34% of UK power generation last year. This has led to a more efficient system, since wind and solar reduce energy wastage compared to fossil fuels: the share of wasted total input energy has fallen from 60% in 2000 to 47% in 2023.

Electrified alternatives like heat pumps and electric vehicles are ultra efficient compared to clunky old fossil-backed options. The UK is now cutting reliance on unpredictable fossil imports at both ends of the energy system, through clean power as well as electric vehicle and heating alternatives.

Frankie Mayo
‍Senior Energy & Climate Analyst – UK, Ember

Wind and solar use free and replenishable energy sources to produce electricity, and therefore are considered to create no wasted energy during generation. By contrast, the combustion process to create electricity from coal and gas is highly inefficient, wasting substantial amounts of input fuel. Gas and coal power plants typically only capture 50% and 34% of input energy, respectively.

Making use of more efficient clean sources reduces spending needed for fuel, and lessens UK exposure to changes in the international price of gas and oil. UK household energy bills are still largely dictated by gas and oil, but this could change if appliances were able to draw more on clean power. In the UK, gas and oil account for 78% of household energy costs, with 47% of that gas and oil relying on imports.

Electrification is already reducing fossil fuel demand

Clean electrification, or using low-carbon electricity to power heating and transport, is key to decarbonisation across the economy. Ember analysis shows that scaling up heat pumps and electric vehicles currently reduces UK fossil fuel demand by four times more than the additional electricity demand it creates.

As wind and solar grow more, electrification will cut fossil fuel consumption even faster. According to the National Electricity System Operator, demand for primary input fuels could fall by an average of 0.8% a year in the 2020s. This accelerates to 1.2% per year later in the 2030s, when electric vehicle and heat pump deployment is forecast to reach a peak.

The UK urgently needs joined-up thinking on electrification. Heat pumps, electric vehicles and clean power are being planned separately, but a strategy that considers them holistically will be key to bringing down costs and bolstering UK energy security.

Frankie Mayo
‍Senior Energy & Climate Analyst – UK, Ember

About Ember

Ember is an independent energy think tank that aims to accelerate the clean energy transition with data and policy. It creates targeted data insights to advance policies that urgently shift the world to a clean, electrified energy future.

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