From August 2025 to July 2026, low-carbon sources supplied about 61% of electricity consumed in the United Kingdom, compared with around 29% from fossil fuels and 9% from net imports. Wind was the largest individual source, providing roughly 30%, followed by gas at 27%. The other low-carbon sources were biofuels at about 12%, nuclear at almost 10%, solar at 6%, and hydropower at just over 2%. Clean electricity therefore supplied well over half of consumption, but substantial gas use leaves considerable scope to cut climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in United Kingdom?

The latest figures show a small new record for low-carbon electricity per person, but overall electricity consumption per person remains far below its historical peak. In 2026, consumption stood at about 4,540 kWh per person, roughly 2,170 kWh—or 32%—below the 2005 record of 6,710 kWh. Low-carbon generation, meanwhile, reached about 2,780 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record set in 2020 by just 40 kWh, or around 1.5%. That clean-electricity progress is welcome, but modest: these figures do not establish whether total national consumption is currently growing, and much stronger clean generation growth will be needed to support electrification and rising electricity demand from AI.

Suggestions

The United Kingdom should expand its already substantial wind generation while accelerating solar deployment and expanding nuclear power. Nearby Denmark, where wind supplies 59% of electricity generation, demonstrates the potential to build further on Britain’s wind strength. France, with nuclear supplying 67%, and Finland, at 37%, offer relevant examples of nuclear’s substantial contribution to a low-carbon electricity system. For solar, the Netherlands and Germany generate about 19% and 20% respectively—useful comparisons showing that northern European locations can achieve much larger solar shares than Britain’s current 6%. Combining these technologies with stronger grids and storage would help increase clean electricity supply and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

History

The history shows major low-carbon gains interrupted by disappointing setbacks. Nuclear generation increased by 10 TWh in 1984; a decline of about 11 TWh in 1987 was followed by gains of roughly 16 TWh in 1988, 8 TWh in 1989, and 13 TWh in 1993. The 2000s brought troubling nuclear declines: around 10 TWh in 2000, 9 TWh in 2004, and 12 TWh and 11 TWh in 2007 and 2008, before a strong 17 TWh recovery in 2009. Another 9 TWh nuclear decline in 2019 was a disappointing loss of clean generation. Wind became a major source of growth during the 2010s, with annual increases of about 7–13 TWh in the listed years from 2013 to 2019. It added another 12 TWh in 2020, fell by 11 TWh in 2021, then rebounded by 15 TWh in 2022 and added about 9 TWh in 2026. These gains underline the value of sustained wind expansion alongside renewed nuclear and solar growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.