Outer Hebridean Energy Audit

An audit of the energy consumption in the Outer Hebrides in 2003/04 identified¹:

• Total consumption amounted to 915GWh
• Approximately 97% of the energy was imported.
• Imported fuels were considerably more expensive than their mainland equivalent prices.
• The Outer Hebrides have the highest prevalence of fuel poverty in the country (34%) - Fuel poverty is defined as households that spend more than 10% of their income to adequately heat their home.
• Individuals in the Outer Hebrides have “eco-footprints” 10% larger (more polluting) than the UK average.
• The Outer Hebrides are at the very end of the energy supply chain, making them extremely vulnerable to global energy markets.

Energy Use by Fuel Type

The variety and proportion of fuels used to provide the energy is indicated below

Other fuels consisted of:

Jet A1	1.46%	Light Fuel Oil	0.73%
Bottled LPG	0.36%	Avgas	0.07%
Logs	0.06%	LPG (autogas)	0.05%

Key points:

• Over 70% of the energy used in the islands is in the form of oil derived fuels. 
• Electricity accounts for less than 20% of the Outer Hebrides energy use.

Energy Use by Sector

Key points

• Domestic and private vehicle sectors account for over 50% of the energy usage.
• All transportation sectors account for approximately 40% of the energy usage.
• Local standby electrical generation losses amount to 50GWh, 5.5% of the total energy usage.

¹ Western Isles Energy Audit, prepared by Element Energy Ltd. for Western Isles Alternative and Renewable Energy Partnership (WIAREP), August 2004.