As winter beckons, fears of rolling blackouts grow, due in part to ongoing conflict in Ukraine. With countries no longer able to rely on Russia for gas, industry experts are advocating for energy rationing.
During the 1970s, intermittent blackouts were frequent and caused a myriad of problems for millions of households across the UK. But which areas are set to lose the most? To find out, electricity experts from Enclosure Pro used data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, identifying which UK local authority has the highest electricity usage per domestic meter.
The local authorities set to lose the most during blackouts: Mapped
Energy usage per household was highest in Na h-Eileanan Siar, an Isle located off the coast of Scotland. One of Scotland’s 32 unitary council areas, Na h-Eileanan is governed by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Elsewhere in Scotland, domestic energy usage was also high in Argyll and Bute and Highland. In regard to England, domestic energy usage was highest in the City of London, Cotswold, South Hams and Elmbridge.
The top 20 local authorities with the highest energy usage:
| Local Authority | Mean domestic consumption(kWh per household) |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar | 6,831.8 |
| Argyll and Bute | 6,475.0 |
| City of London | 6,412.0 |
| Highland | 5,921.7 |
| Cotswold | 5,761.3 |
| South Hams | 5,394.9 |
| Elmbridge | 5,390.8 |
| King’s Lynn and West Norfolk | 5,379.8 |
| Uttlesford | 5,346.4 |
| South Oxfordshire | 5,303.4 |
| Cornwall | 5,263.1 |
| Eden | 5,222.3 |
| North Norfolk | 5,206.9 |
| Stratford-on-Avon | 5,197.4 |
| Waverley | 5,177.2 |
| Maldon | 5,161.5 |
| Chichester | 5,150.9 |
| Tandridge | 5,089.2 |
| Sevenoaks | 5,087.5 |
| West Berkshire | 5,081.0 |
The top 20 local authorities with the lowest energy usage:
| Local Authority | Mean domestic consumption(kWh per household) |
| South Tyneside | 2,982.4 |
| Hackney | 2,985.8 |
| Islington | 3,012.4 |
| Camden | 3,087.0 |
| Liverpool | 3,182.3 |
| Blaenau Gwent | 3,185.2 |
| North Tyneside | 3,189.7 |
| Gateshead | 3,197.6 |
| Sunderland | 3,226.5 |
| Glasgow City | 3,230.6 |
| Hartlepool | 3,231.4 |
| Lewisham | 3,235.4 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 3,236.7 |
| Lambeth | 3,250.5 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 3,255.4 |
| Sheffield | 3,260.9 |
| Coventry | 3,261.3 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | 3,267.8 |
| Chesterfield | 3,303.8 |
| County Durham | 3,319.6 |
The local authority with the lowest domestic energy consumption per household was South Tyneside, located in North East England. Hackney, Islington, Camden and Liverpool also had relatively low domestic energy consumption.
Preparing for blackouts: Our top tips
- Make sure to have at least one torch in your home, along with some spare batteries
- External battery packs can be used to charge phones and other essential appliances
- Thick blankets and thermal clothes are crucial for keeping warm
- Make sure to keep your fridge or freezer door closed as much as possible in case of a power cut, as this will keep food cold for longer
- Make sure to discard refrigerated perishable foods if a blackout lasts for more than 4 hours. This includes poultry, meat, fish and eggs, along with any pre-cooked leftovers
- To protect electronic equipment against power surges, unplug it, rather than simply turning it off at the wall. Some electronics, such as computers, are particularly sensitive to power surges, so should definitely be unplugged
Methodology
To determine electricity usage by local authorities, we used the subnational electricity consumption data released by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. We used the most recent data, dated 2020.
