Scotland leads UK in renewable energy generation per household

23 May 2025

Scottish local authorities are generating more renewable energy per household than any other part of the UK, according to a new analysis of government data by Uswitch.

The research, based on ten years of UK government statistics, found that Moray leads the UK with 47.4 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy generated per 1,000 households, followed by North East Lincolnshire at 41.4 MW. Other top-performing Scottish regions include East Lothian with 27.3 MW and Highland with 26.3 MW per 1,000 households.

Scotland’s strong showing reflects both sustained investment in renewables and favourable geographic conditions such as higher wind speeds and terrain suited for wind turbines. Highland leads onshore wind capacity with 18.3 MW per 1,000 households, while Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire follow with 13.1 MW and 12.7 MW respectively. Offshore wind is also significant in Scotland, with Moray generating 35.0 MW per 1,000 households, second only to North East Lincolnshire’s 40.4 MW.

North East Lincolnshire’s offshore wind growth is driven by major projects like Ørsted’s Hornsea One and Two wind farms, the world’s largest offshore wind farms with capacities of 1.2 GW and 1.4 GW. This has helped the area achieve a staggering 1,017% increase in renewable capacity between 2018 and 2023. Boston and East Lothian also showed strong growth of 985% and 734% respectively during this period.

Solar photovoltaics are more prominent in parts of England, with East Cambridgeshire generating 4.4 MW per 1,000 households and South Cambridgeshire 4.3 MW. Several urban areas including London boroughs such as Sutton, Hammersmith and Fulham and Barnet have seen substantial increases in renewable capacity in recent years.

Scotland’s overall renewable generation also reflects its leadership. In 2022, it produced the equivalent of 113% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources, marking a milestone in its transition to net-zero emissions.

The Uswitch report adjusted for local authority boundary changes over the years and focused on solar, onshore and offshore wind capacity, while excluding other renewables due to data limitations.

https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/studies/renewable-statistics/