The amount of fuel made in the UK dropped a fifth in the third quarter of 2011 compared with last year. This contrasts with renewable energy sources which generally increased, according to DECC’s latest energy statistics.

Gas production fell by 29.4% while oil dropped a little more than a fifth. DECC says this is because of maintenance work and slowdowns on a number of fields.

Hydro saw the largest increase in the renewable sector, jumping 41.3% as a result of higher rainfall in 2011. Offshore wind increased by a third, while onshore wind fell a fraction (2.4%) due to lower wind speeds.