Electricity use in China rose by 10.4% in September, picking up the pace since last month when consumption increased by 8.8%, according to government figures reported in China Daily.

The number for September is less than for August – when consumption grew 13.7% – but significantly higher than for the same month last year, when electricity use rose 2.9%.

It brings total power consumption for the first three quarters of 2013 to 3.95 trillion kWh, a 7.2% increase on the same period last year.

Over the weekend the Energy Secretary Ed Davey hinted China could become involved in a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.