The UK’s electricity supply has become its “most British” in over two decades, according to new analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). This shift marks a significant reduction in the nation’s reliance on foreign primary energy sources, primarily driven by the expanding contribution of fuel-free renewables.
Based on updated government data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), ECIU calculations reveal that in 2025, imported primary energy accounted for 46% of the UK’s electricity supply. This figure represents a decrease from 48% in 2024 and a substantial drop from its peak of 67% in 2013, reaching its lowest share since 2004. The reduction in imported primary energy in 2025 alone was sufficient to power over two million homes.
The analysis underscores that without the contribution of UK-based wind, water, and solar power, the country’s import dependency for electricity generation would have escalated significantly, with an estimated 73% of primary energy for electricity needing to be imported in 2025. This growing energy independence comes against the backdrop of recent global gas price volatility.
Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, Head of Analysis at the ECIU, highlighted the pivotal role of clean energy.
“The expansion of renewables is more than making up for the ongoing decline in North Sea gas output which has happened even under decades of policy to maximise extraction. Many people won’t necessarily realise it, but the UK has made significant progress in shifting away from gas and towards renewables, boosting energy independence in the process.”
“The UK was particularly badly hurt by the last gas crisis because, because as a country we’ve been so dependent on gas for both generating electricity and heating homes. As the current crisis shows, we’re not out of the woods yet, and the grid requires investment, but renewables already are helping to insulate against and gradually unplug from the volatile global oil and gas system.”
In 2025, over 53% of the energy used for UK electricity supplies originated from domestic sources, an increase from 51% in the preceding year. This improvement was largely attributed to the higher output from renewables such as wind, hydro, and solar, which require no imported fuels.
These fuel-free renewables generated 8% more power in 2025 than in 2024, with solar output alone experiencing a significant rise of almost 37%. Overall, these sources constituted 36.6% of UK electricity supplies in 2025, up from 34.1% in 2024, marking the second consecutive year they surpassed fossil fuel generation.
The increasing integration of renewables has also shown a tangible impact on electricity prices. Research from January 2026 found that greater renewable grid connections reduce the frequency at which gas power stations dictate electricity prices, with large wind farms estimated to have cut the day-ahead wholesale price of electricity by a third last year.
Regarding domestic fossil fuel reserves, analysis confirms that approximately 90% of the oil and gas potentially extractable from the North Sea has already been removed.
Dr Cran-McGreehin emphasised the broader economic and climate implications of this transition:
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“The point that many politicians neglect to mention when talking about it is that reaching net zero emissions is not only scientifically the only way to stop climate change, but it also means gradually detaching ourselves from burning oil and gas and the instability for billpayers and businesses that those markets have created.”
“Combined with electric heat pumps replacing gas boilers and EVs taking the place of petrol and diesel cars, you can see a path to UK energy powering the economy and people’s homes better protected from these global shocks. British wind and sunlight don’t run through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The UK continues to set new benchmarks in renewable generation. On 25 March 2026, a new record was established for UK renewable power, with wind contributing 23.9GW and solar adding a further 10.3GW, culminating in over 34GW from wind and solar combined.
