In the United Kingdom, energy suppliers / utility companies are required by law to publish details of the fuel sources that they use to generate electricity. In our previous article, we looked into the fuel mix of British Gas with some surprising results (take a look at the linked article to see for yourself). This week, we will be taking a close look at EDF’s fuel mix to see how they compare to other suppliers.
EDF Fuel Mix
Here’s EDF’s fuel mix for the period April 2015 – March 2016:
| EDF ENERGY SOURCE | APRIL 2015 to MARCH 2016 |
|---|---|
| Other Fuels | 0.3% |
| Coal | 14.5% |
| Nuclear | 64.3% |
| Natural Gas | 8.6% |
| Renewables | 12.3% |
And here’s some handy charts to help you visualise those numbers:
EDF’s Fuel Mix Visualised
EDF Fuel Mix Pie Chart
EDF Fuel Mix Bar Chart
Breaking down those numbers, we can see that EDF relies heavily on nuclear energy to generate its electricity, with 64.3 per cent of all their electricity generated by nuclear. The second most-used energy source is coal, with 14.5 per cent, while the third most-used energy source is renewables (wind, solar, hydro). What is most surprising here is EDF’s lack of dependency on natural gas; for instance, British Gas generates 30 per cent of their electricity through natural gas. It is also clear that EDF does not have a very good eco setup, with just 12.3 per cent of their electricity generated through renewables compared to British Gas’s 33 per cent.
So, how does EDF’s fuel mix compare to the UK average? Let’s take a look:
UK Average Fuel Mix
| UK Average Fuel Mix | Data |
|---|---|
| Other Fuels | 2.5% |
| Coal | 17.1% |
| Nuclear | 23.7% |
| Natural Gas | 32.3% |
| Renewables | 24.3% |
EDF Fuel Mix
| EDF ENERGY SOURCE | APRIL 2015 to MARCH 2016 |
|---|---|
| Other Fuels | 0.3% |
| Coal | 14.5% |
| Nuclear | 64.3% |
| Natural Gas | 8.6% |
| Renewables | 12.3% |
EDF uses less renewables than the UK average (24.3 per cent versus 12.3 per cent), and more nuclear energy (64.3 per cent versus 23.7 per cent). However, they use less gas than the UK average (8.6 per cent versus 32.3 per cent) and less coal (14.5 per cent versus 17.1 per cent).
Further reading: EDF Phone Number and Contact Information
Taking this data, we can summarise that EDF is dependent on so-called ‘traditional’ fuel types, such as nuclear and coal. The amount of electricity they generate from renewable sources is negligible compared to nuclear and coal. However, EDF is openly committed to generating more of its electricity from renewable sources in the future, which is an important issue for their customers and the environment as a whole. You can find out more about EDF’s ‘Better Energy Ambitions” here.