Where does the UK energy supply come from?
Where does the UK's energy come from?
The UK gets its energy from a variety of sources from both inside the country and from abroad. That energy mostly comes into people's homes as gas and electricity, providing heating and power, and it is generated from other power sources such as coal, natural gas, nuclear power and renewables.
Where does UK electricity come from?
While historically the majority of our electricity was produced using coal from the UK, nowadays coal is only one component. Today, electricity production is more complicated, as it is produced from gas, coal, nuclear and renewable sources - some of which is domestically produced and some of which is imported.
Where does UK gas come from?
The UK does have its own fuel reserves, although the nature of these reserves has changed over time, and the percentage of our fuel sourced domestically has decreased. As such, the UK also imports gas, predominantly from Norway but also from Russia. Some gas also comes through pipelines under the English Channel from Belgium and the Netherlands, and in a liquid state from Qatar.
This is a significant reason for the UK's susceptibility to wholesale market price changes. Because so much gas is imported, the UK is hit the hardest when gas prices rise. However, the price of gas also dictates the price of electricity. This is because the UK electricity pricing market is dictated by the cost of the most expensive electricity generation method, and because gas-fired power plants generate much of the UK's electricity, gas sets the price of electricity 98% of the time.
This is why there is so much focus on reducing the use of gas across the country and increasing the use of renewables.
Which fuel sources produce gas and electricity in the UK?
There are a variety of power sources in the UK producing the gas and electricity that comes into our homes.
Coal
Coal is one of the largest contributors of CO2 emissions in the world, and that's partly why its influence on the UK's power supply is gradually diminishing. During the 1940s, coal supplied nearly all of the UK's power, in part because it is a fairly cheap fuel source to produce. However, the price of other, less polluting fuel sources has closed the gap, making coal one of the least-used fuel sources.
Natural gas
Natural gas from the North Sea and Irish Sea provides a large proportion of UK gas supplies. However, in recent years there has been a shift towards importing natural gas via pipelines in Europe and Norway, as well as shipping Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from other parts of the world.
There have been calls in the UK to begin fracking to extract natural gas, but the government believes the drawbacks outweigh the benefits and, as a result, there is a current ban on fracking in the UK.
Nuclear
Nuclear power stations in the UK generate a high amount of electrical energy. Producing energy from a nuclear power plant also uses very little CO2 and is therefore a relatively small contributor to greenhouse gases. It’s also cheap, reliable and always available once set up.
However, new plants are costly and slow to set up due to all the safety measures and permissions required. There’s also a question mark over the disposal of the radioactive waste generated from nuclear energy. Both transportation and disposal add additional costs and pose extra risks to the environment.
Renewable energy
There are multiple sources where UK suppliers get their renewable energy from, including:
- Wind energy
- Solar energy
- Biomass energy
- Hydro energy
- Landfill waste energy.
Wind power is the most popular renewable energy source in the UK. Virtually none of it was being used as recently as 1990, but it now makes up a large proportion of the UK's major fuel sources. The cost of wind power, which comes from offshore and onshore wind turbines, has significantly reduced with time, so it’s no surprise that it has taken up a bigger part of Britain's renewable energy sources. Hydroelectric power, which uses the energy from a heavy stream of water to generate electricity using a turbine, is expected to become a more popular fuel source.
Meanwhile, bio energy, which comes from extracting energy from organic material, is on the rise. There are debates as to whether this source is renewable due to the fact that methods such as wood burning (a common bio energy source) actually contribute to CO2 emissions. Bio energy can also be created from sewage, manure and food waste, which are said to be greener sources. The latest UK energy statistics found that renewable energy is now responsible for over 47% of the UK's electricity generation in total.
What makes up my energy supply?
This will depend on your energy supplier. The majority of gas for all suppliers is supplied as outlined above. However, how a supplier sources your electricity is a bit more complicated.
All UK energy suppliers are required to publish information about their energy fuel mix annually. A supplier’s fuel mix is the ratio of different energy sources or ‘fuels’ that the supplier uses to generate its customers’ electricity.
This ratio is comprised of the following fuels:
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Nuclear
- Renewables (such as solar, wind and biomass)
- Other.
The table below shows you how the UK’s average energy fuel mix has changed over the past decade.
| 2016-17 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | 9% | 2.7% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 6.3% | 5.9% |
| Natural gas | 44% | 38.2% | 38.5% | 39.3% | 35% | 33.3% |
| Nuclear | 21% | 16.1% | 16.1% | 13.9% | 12.7% | 16.2% |
| Renewables | 24% | 40.3% | 38.7% | 40.8% | 43.2% | 42.1% |
| Other | 2% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 2.5% |
The most recent fuel mix can be found on GOV.UK. This covers the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The figures reveal that while coal and natural gas usage have largely declined since 2016-17, they have also stabilised over the past few years rather than declining further.
The proportion of energy provided by nuclear has started to rise again in the past year, while renewables have plateaued after jumping significantly from 2016-17 to 2020-21.
What will the UK energy mix be in future?
One of the aims of the government’s establishment of Great British Energy is to increase the amount of renewable energy the UK can call on, transforming the UK into a “clean energy superpower”.
This has already begun to bear fruit - in March 2026, wind farms broke the record for wind power generation, with enough electricity generated to power 23 million homes. The following month, solar farms in England, Wales and Scotland broke the record for solar power generation not once, but twice.
Additionally, the network operator is planning to run the network entirely without using gas for short periods as soon as the summer of 2026, in preparation for running a practically carbon-free grid from 2030.
Many major UK energy suppliers have also been making good on their promise to invest heavily in renewable energy sources. One reason is that, unlike fossil fuels or nuclear, renewables won’t run out. Also, once set up, renewable energy plants become self-financing. As a result, rather than make vague promises about where their electricity comes from, companies can point to the fact that they generate at least some of the renewable electricity they sell themselves. For example, ScottishPower sources all its renewable electricity from its own windfarms, while Octopus claims to operate enough renewable generation plants to power four million homes.
Energy mix by supplier
All UK energy suppliers update their fuel mix figures annually. Ofgem, the energy regulator, requires all electricity suppliers in the UK to tell customers where they get their fuel and how that is broken down by percentage.
The following table reveals what fuels provide electricity supplied by the UK’s big six energy companies.
| Supplier | Coal | Gas | Nuclear | Renewables | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Gas | 4% | 17% | 57% | 20% | 2% |
| EDF Energy | 4.3% | 19.7% | 54% | 20.1% | 1.9% |
| E.ON Next | 2.1% | 9.9% | 1.5% | 85.5% | 1% |
| Octopus | 0% | 0% | 15.2% | 84.8% | 0% |
| OVO | 13% | 61% | 9% | 11% | 6% |
| ScottishPower | 13% | 60% | 9% | 11% | 7% |
What is British Gas's fuel mix?
While British Gas’s overall fuel mix is predominantly made up of renewables and nuclear, non-renewable tariffs are predominantly sourced from nuclear (63%) and natural gas (28%) sources. Customers can also sign up for renewable tariffs that use 100% renewable electricity.
What is EDF Energy's fuel mix?
EDF Energy offers a range of tariffs. Its Zero Carbon tariff is sourced entirely from nuclear energy, while its Renewables tariff is powered from 100% renewable sources.
What is E.ON Next's energy fuel mix?
E.ON Next's fuel mix is mainly split between natural gas and renewables.
What is Octopus Energy's fuel mix?
Like E.ON Next, the vast majority of Octopus’s fuel mix is derived from renewable sources. The rest of its electricity comes from another zero-carbon source: nuclear.
Find out more on Octopus's website.
What is OVO Energy's fuel mix?
OVO Energy's fuel mix shows a large reliance on natural gas, which makes up over 60% of its total. The company claims its fuel mix is more accurate than others because it’s stopped buying REGO certificates to boost its renewable energy figures.
What is ScottishPower's fuel mix?
ScottishPower only supplies renewable energy to those on its Green Tariffs. If you’re on a ScottishPower Green Tariff then your electricity comes from 100% wind power generated by its own windfarms. If, however, you’re on another tariff, then none of your electricity is renewable – it’s primarily gas (68%) followed by coal (15%) and nuclear (11%).
How do I choose more renewable energy sources?
You can choose the type of energy you consume by choosing a particular supplier, choosing a particular plan or tariff, or by generating your own.
Switching your energy supply could get you greener and possibly cheaper deals. Most energy suppliers now offer at least one 'green' energy plan to customers, at ever-cheaper rates than before. The exact fuel mix will vary by supplier, but a green plan will usually offer 100% renewable electricity as standard.
Energy suppliers' renewable energy plans
Some energy suppliers have gone one step further than offering a specialist green energy tariff by only offering plans that are categorised as renewable energy plans. Those suppliers are:
These listed energy suppliers offer 100% renewable electricity plans that are often cheaper than the big six standard energy deals.
To find a renewable energy deal on Uswitch, run an energy comparison and use the "green plans" filter when you reach the results table.
Renewable energy plans are growing in popularity as they become more affordable and are offered by more energy suppliers.
If you want a greener fuel mix in your home, then you can also consider producing your own energy. The most popular form of domestic fuel generation is solar power, which is easier than ever to install.
