English energy consumption and the impact of the Black Death

Richard W Unger

European Review of Economic History, 2020, vol. 24, issue 1, 134-156

Abstract: Estimates of energy consumed from different carriers in England in 1300 and in 1450 indicates limited increases in consumption in the wake of the large population change after the Great Death. Adjustments in relative use of energy sources, to be expected, yielded variations without apparent structural changes. Indications of some pressure on existing land resources in 1300 suggest energy supplies did constrain growth in the economy, though unexploited options to overcome the pressure did exist. The expectation of profligate use of newly relatively abundant energy in 1450 was not realized. By 1450, output per unit of energy consumed surprisingly rose relative to 1300, indicating efficiency improvements.

Date: 2020
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