UK electricity increasingly powered by domestic sources, new analysis shows

The proportion of UK electricity generated from domestic sources has risen significantly over the past decade, according to new analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

In 2014, around 65% of the fuel used to generate electricity in the UK came from imported sources. By 2024, this had fallen to just under 50%, with the shift attributed mainly to the growth of wind and solar power, which do not rely on fuel imports.

The analysis indicates that the increase in homegrown renewable energy is helping to reduce the UK’s reliance on imported gas and oil. This change has been driven by a rapid expansion in wind and solar capacity, particularly offshore wind, and comes amid a long-term decline in gas production from the North Sea. Even with new drilling licences, the UK’s regulator forecasts gas production will fall by at least 95% by 2050.

In 2024, gas still accounted for about 30% of electricity generation, but it influenced the market price nearly all of the time, setting the price of electricity 97% of the time — the highest share in Europe. Renewables, by reducing the need for gas generation, are also helping to lessen the impact of volatile global gas markets on consumer bills.

The government has committed to achieving a clean electricity system by 2030, which includes phasing out the use of gas for power generation, though gas plants will remain available as a strategic back-up. However, the ECIU notes that policies for reducing gas use in home heating and improving energy efficiency in buildings remain lacking.

The findings follow warnings from the UK’s Energy Crisis Commission that the country is still vulnerable to future energy crises due to its dependence on gas. The International Monetary Fund previously reported that the UK was the worst affected in Western Europe by the energy price crisis that began in 2021.

Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, head of analysis at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, says:

“UK electricity is becoming more British and this is the net zero emissions target in action, decreasing our demand for foreign gas by boosting homegrown renewables. Gas output from the North Sea has been falling for decades, but British renewables like offshore wind are stepping in to help generate more British electricity. The regulator’s own figures show any new drilling for gas will make minor difference to output, so its renewables that will have to do the heavy lifting on energy security, protecting us from the geopolitics around energy and actors like Putin.

“Just like British households, UK industry has suffered from the ongoing gas price crisis which started in 2021 pushing up energy bills, but new renewables will also help to stabilise bills.”