Research shows 15% fall in fuel imports over the past decade thanks to renewables
Britain’s electricity supply is getting more homegrown – and that’s good news for energy security, according to new analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).
Figures show the UK has cut its reliance on foreign fuels for electricity over the past decade, thanks largely to the rise of renewables.
In 2014, nearly two-thirds (around 65%) of the fuels used to generate UK electricity were imported. Fast-forward to 2024 and that figure has dropped to just under half – a clear sign that British wind and solar are displacing gas imports and bolstering the nation’s energy independence.
Renewables like wind and solar don’t rely on fuel, meaning they’re immune to global commodity price shocks.
That’s particularly important given gas still sets the price of electricity 97% of the time in Britain – the highest proportion in Europe.
Gas still provided around 30% of electricity last year – but the more renewables that come online the less gas we need – and the fewer imports we rely on.
CFDs make a difference
Contracts for Difference (CfDs) – the government’s flagship renewables support scheme – are also helping.
When gas prices soar, wind and solar projects pay money back to consumers. When prices fall, they get a small top-up.
Either way, new clean power helps bring down bills and shields households from volatile global markets.
Next energy crisis?
Despite this progress, the ECIU warns the UK remains “dangerously unprepared” for another energy crisis, due to its over-reliance on gas for both heating and electricity.
The International Monetary Fund has already found the UK was the “worst hit” in Western Europe by the 2022 crisis because of this very dependence.
The researchers say North Sea gas is not the long-term solution. The regulator projects gas production will fall by 95% by 2050 – even with new licences. Without them, the drop is 97%. In other words, new drilling won’t change the long-term picture.
The government has committed to a clean power system by 2030, phasing out gas for electricity generation while retaining some gas capacity as a back-up reserve.
But a policy gap remains on how to shift home heating off gas and improve insulation across millions of homes.
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