Fossil Fuel Levy
Encyclopedia
The Fossil Fuel Levy is a levy paid by suppliers of electricity
from non-renewable energy
sources in the United Kingdom
. The costs are shared by the suppliers and consumers, as a proportion of the cost is passed on to consumers in the cost of the electricity supplied. The Fossil Fuel Levy was imposed to fund the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation
.
and Wales
the Fossil Fuel Levy was introduced under the Electricity Act 1989. Section 33 of this Act was briefly superseded by the Fossil Fuel Levy Act 1998 until its repeal (by the Utilities Act 2000
), bringing the FFL back under the Electricity Act.
In Scotland
, the Fossil Fuel Levy was not imposed until 1996, as support for the nuclear industry in Scotland (the original purpose of the Levy in England and Wales) was provided by the 1990 Scottish 'Nuclear Energy Agreement'.
was introduced. Rates are controlled by Ofgem.
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
from non-renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
sources in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The costs are shared by the suppliers and consumers, as a proportion of the cost is passed on to consumers in the cost of the electricity supplied. The Fossil Fuel Levy was imposed to fund the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation
Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation
The Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation refers to a collection of orders requiring the electricity Distribution Network Operators in England and Wales to purchase electricity from the nuclear power and renewable energy sectors...
.
Legislation
In EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
the Fossil Fuel Levy was introduced under the Electricity Act 1989. Section 33 of this Act was briefly superseded by the Fossil Fuel Levy Act 1998 until its repeal (by the Utilities Act 2000
Utilities Act 2000
The Utilities Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that deals with the gas and electrical markets in the UK. It mainly modified the Gas Act 1995 and Electricity Act 1989. One of the greatest changes was that integrated electricity companies were required to have separate...
), bringing the FFL back under the Electricity Act.
In Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the Fossil Fuel Levy was not imposed until 1996, as support for the nuclear industry in Scotland (the original purpose of the Levy in England and Wales) was provided by the 1990 Scottish 'Nuclear Energy Agreement'.
Rates
The Levy has been applied at various rates, but in recent years has been set at zero as the Climate Change LevyClimate Change Levy
The Climate Change Levy is a tax on energy delivered to non-domestic users in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to provide an incentive to increase energy efficiency and to reduce carbon emissions, however there have been ongoing calls to replace it with a proper carbon tax.-Scope and...
was introduced. Rates are controlled by Ofgem.
See also
- Climate Change LevyClimate Change LevyThe Climate Change Levy is a tax on energy delivered to non-domestic users in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to provide an incentive to increase energy efficiency and to reduce carbon emissions, however there have been ongoing calls to replace it with a proper carbon tax.-Scope and...
- Renewables Obligation Certificates
- Energy policy of the United KingdomEnergy policy of the United KingdomThe current energy policy of the United Kingdom is set out in the Energy White Paper of May 2007 and Low Carbon Transition Plan of July 2009, building on previous work including the 2003 Energy White Paper and the Energy Review Report in 2006...
- Energy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use in the United Kingdom stood at 3,894.6 kilogrammes of oil equivalent per capita in 2005 compared to a world average of 1,778.0. In 2008, total energy consumed was 9.85 exajoules - around 2% of the estimated 474 EJ worldwide total...