The United Kingdom generates less electricity per person than in the 1970s
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
UK electricity generation per person has fallen by a third since its 2003 peak, returning to late-1960s levels.
Per-person electricity generation in the UK peaked at about 6,700 kWh in 2003 and has since fallen to around 4,200 kWh-levels last seen in 1968. Net imports rose from 1% of demand in 2010 to 9% in 2025, but domestic consumption is still much lower. The decline is driven by deindustrialization (industrial use down one-quarter since 2005) and efficiency gains in lighting and appliances, which have cut residential and commercial use by similar amounts.
What commenters are saying
Commenters split on whether the decline is good or bad. One camp sees it as positive, citing improved home insulation and LED lighting that reduce waste without blackouts. The other warns of demand destruction from high electricity costs (26p/kWh in 2025 vs 13p in 1975, inflation-adjusted), which they argue has driven away manufacturing and made the UK's energy system fragile and expensive. Some note the role of deindustrialization and the UK's old housing stock, while a correction points out that only 9% of UK homes use electric-only heating.