What's it all about?

Why do we need energy?

Energy is vital to the way we live today. We use it to power our transport, cook our food, heat and light our homes, and operate the countless machines and appliances we use every day. This makes the way we produce our energy very important.

Where does our energy come from?

Energy can come from many different sources, but most of the energy we use today comes from one place - fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are substances like coal, oil, and natural gas, which have been created over millions of years from the decaying remains of plants and animals. About three quarters of the UK's energy currently comes from burning fossil fuels.

How is our energy generated?

When people talk about generating energy, they don't mean that new energy is actually being created - instead existing energy is being converted from one form to another that is more useful to us. This transformation produces waste - depending on how the energy has been generated, this waste may be harmless, or it may need to be dealt with.

To learn about where our energy comes from, and about the impact it has on the environment, read the 'Energy information pack'.

To learn more about the different ways we generate energy - the energy mix - and why this is an important issue for everyone, read the 'Energy mix information pack'.

These fact sheets, and all information included within them, have been provided by the Eden Project. EDF Energy is not responsible for the content of the fact sheets, or the content of any website or document referred to within the fact sheets.