Electricity
Our extraction of energy from our environment is amazing, and electricity is particular useful as it is a way of transporting energy and using it for different purposes. It can also be created by a variety of means. It may appear environmentally friendly at its point of use, but there are implications for the environment nevertheless.
The demand for electricity keeps growing as we keep inventing then demanding new devices that use it.
Some kinds of electricity production only occur at certain times of day, e.g. solar or tidal. Others are fickle, such as the wind. Other types of power station can be produce electricity at any time of the day, e.g. those burning fossil fuels. Some can quickly step up their output, whereas others cannot, or not efficiently.
The demand for electricity varies with the season, the weather and the time of day, or even with which program is on television. Distributors try to even out supply by touting off-peak electricity. Neverhteless, the cost of having extra supplies on standby can be so high that there is not always enough to cope with surges in demand and we suffer power cuts.
| Association of Electricity Producers | |
| Ecotricity | |
| ELEXON (Balancing and Settlement Code Company (BSCCo) (electricity trading) | |
| GE Lighting | |
| Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) |