Energy in the United Kingdom
Total energy consumption in the United Kingdom was 142.0milliontonnes of oil equivalent in 2019. In 2014, the UK had an energy consumption per capita of 2.78tonnes of oil equivalent compared to a world average of 1.92tonnes of oil equivalent. Demand for electricity in 2023 was 29.6GW on average, supplied through 235TWh of UK-based generation and 24TWh of energy imports.
Successive UK governments have outlined numerous commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. One such announcement was the Low Carbon Transition Plan launched by the Brown ministry in July 2009, which aimed to generate 30% electricity from renewable sources, and 40% from low-carbon content fuels by 2020. The UK is one of the best sites in Europe for wind energy, and wind power production is its fastest growing supply. Wind power contributed 29.4% of UK electricity generation in 2023.
The electricity sector's grid supply for the United Kingdom in 2024 came from 26.9% fossil fuel power, 51% zero-carbon power, 6.8% from biomass, 14.1% imports, and 1.2% from storage.
Government commitments to reduce emissions are occurring against a backdrop of economic crisis across Europe. During the euro area crisis, Europe's consumption of electricity shrank by 5%, with primary production also facing a noticeable decline. Britain's trade deficit was reduced by 8% due to substantial cuts in energy imports. Between 2007 and 2015, the UK's peak electrical demand fell from 61.5GW to 52.7. By 2022 it reached 47.1GW.
UK government energy policy aims to play a key role in limiting greenhouse gas emissions, whilst meeting energy demand. Shifting availabilities of resources and development of technologies also change the country's energy mix through changes in costs and consumption. In 2018, the United Kingdom was ranked sixth in the world on the Environmental Performance Index, which measures how well a country carries through environmental policy.
File:London Night.jpg|thumb|right|A night view of the southeast of the UK, centred on Greater London, as seen from the International Space Station
Energy sources
In 2022, the United Kingdom's total energy supply was primarily composed of natural gas, contributing 39.4%, followed by oil at 34.8%, nuclear power at 8.1%, and coal at 3.2%. Biofuels and waste contributed 8.9%, while other renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydro collectively accounted for 5.6% of the energy mix. Coal generation ceased in September 2024.Oil
After UK oil production peaked at nearly 3 million barrels per day in 1999, concerns over peak oil production were raised by high-profile voices in the United Kingdom such as David King and the Industry Task-Force on Peak Oil and Energy Security. The latter's 2010 report states that "The next five years will see us face another crunch – the oil crunch. This time, we do have the chance to prepare. The challenge is to use that time well.". However, world peak oil production was not reached and instead the debate is about oil imports and when peak oil demand will be reached.In 2021, oil products in the United Kingdom were primarily consumed by the transport sector, constituting 72.7% of usage. The industry sector used 5.2% of oil products, while residential and commercial/public services sectors each accounted for 4.7% and 4.5%, respectively. Agriculture and forestry accounted for 1.5%, with fishing making up a minimal share at 0.2%. Non-energy use represented 10.4% of the total oil product consumption.
In October 2022, it was confirmed that UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, would be issuing hundreds of new oil and gas licenses. In the same month, Truss said she will not tax the profits of oil and gas corporations to pay for a freeze in energy bills.
Natural gas
United Kingdom produced 60% of its consumed natural gas in 2010. In five years the United Kingdom moved from almost gas self-sufficient to 40% gas import in 2010. Gas was almost 40% of total primary energy supply and electricity more than 45% in 2010. Underground storage was about 5% of annual demand and more than 10% of net imports. There is an alternative fuel obligation in the United Kingdom.Gasfields include Amethyst gasfield, Armada gasfield, Easington Catchment Area, East Knapton, Everest gasfield and Rhum gasfield.
A gas leak occurred in March 2012 at the Elgin-Franklin fields, where about 200,000cubicmetres of gas was escaping every day. Total missed out on about £83million of potential income.
In 2022, gas consumption in the United Kingdom was primarily attributed to the residential sector, which accounted for 73.1% of usage, while the commercial and public services sectors utilized 22.6%. Non-energy use represented 1.2% of the total gas consumption.
Coal
In 2021, coal consumption in the United Kingdom was primarily driven by the industrial sector, accounting for 72.9% of usage. Residential consumption followed at 23.3%, while commercial and public services sectors accounted for 0.9%. Non-energy use represented 2.2% of the total coal consumption., there is no coal power generation in the United Kingdom. Coal power in England and Wales reduced substantially in the beginning of the twenty-first century. The power stations known as the Hinton Heavies closed, and by the 2020s coal was rarely used for power generation.
Electricity production from coal in 2018 was less than any time since the industrial revolution, with the first "coal free day" in 2017 and the first coal free week in 2019. Coal supplied 5.4% of UK electricity in 2018, down from 7% in 2017, 9% in 2016, 23% in 2015 and 30% in 2014. The UK Government announced in November 2015 that all the remaining 14 coal-fired power stations would be closed by 2025. In February 2020, the government said that it would consult on bringing the closure date forward to 2024.
On 30 September 2024, the final coal fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, closed bringing an end to the UK's use of coal to produce electricity.
Nuclear
Britain's fleet of operational reactors consists of ten Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors at four discrete sites and one pressurised water reactor unit at Sizewell B. The total installed nuclear capacity in the United Kingdom is about 6.8GW.In addition, the UK experimented with fast breeder reactor technologies at Dounreay in Scotland; however the last fast breeder was shut down in 1994.
Even with changes to the planning system to speed nuclear power plant applications, there are doubts over whether the necessary timescale could be met to increase nuclear power output, and over the financial viability of nuclear power with present oil and gas prices. With no nuclear plants having been constructed since Sizewell B in 1995, there are also likely to be capacity issues within the native nuclear industry. The existing privatised nuclear supplier, British Energy, had been in financial trouble in 2004.
In October 2010, the coalition British Government gave the go-ahead for the construction of up to eight new nuclear power plants. However, the Scottish Government, with the backing of the Scottish Parliament, has stated that no new nuclear power stations will be constructed in Scotland.
Renewable energy
In 2007, the United Kingdom Government agreed to an overall European Union target of generating 20% of the European Union's energy supply from renewable sources by 2020. Each European Union member state was given its own allocated target; for the United Kingdom it is 15%. This was formalised in January 2009 with the passage of the EU Renewables Directive. As renewable heat and fuel production in the United Kingdom were at extremely low bases, RenewableUK estimated that this would require 35–40% of the United Kingdom's electricity to be generated from renewable sources by that date, to be met largely by 3335GW of installed wind capacity.In the third quarter of 2019, renewables contributed towards 38.9% of the UK's electricity generation, producing 28.8TWh of electricity.
In June 2017, renewables plus nuclear generated more UK power than gas and coal together for the first time and new offshore wind power became cheaper than new nuclear power for the first time.
Wind power
In December 2007, the United Kingdom Government announced plans for a massive expansion of wind energy production, by conducting a Strategic Environmental Assessment of up to 25GW worth of wind farm offshore sites in preparation for a new round of development. These proposed sites were in addition to the 8GW worth of sites already awarded in the two earlier rounds of site allocations, Round 1 in 2001 and Round 2 in 2003. Taken together it was estimated that this would result in the construction of over 7,000 offshore wind turbines.Wind power delivers a growing fraction of the energy in the United Kingdom and at the beginning of November 2018, wind power in the United Kingdom consisted of nearly 10,000 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of just over 20 gigawatts: 12,254MW of onshore capacity and 7,897MW of offshore capacity.
In August and September 2021, the UK had to restart coal plants, amidst a lack of wind, as power imports from Europe were insufficient to satisfy demand.
Solar
At the end of 2011, there were 230,000 solar power projects in the United Kingdom, with a total installed generating capacity of 750MW. By February 2012 the installed capacity had reached 1,000MW. Solar power use has increased very rapidly in recent years, albeit from a small base, as a result of reductions in the cost of photovoltaic panels, and the introduction of a Feed-in tariff subsidy in April 2010. In 2012, the government said that 4million homes across the UK will be powered by the sun within eight years, representing 22,000MW of installed solar power capacity by 2020.Biofuels
Gas from sewage and landfill has already been exploited in some areas. In 2004 it provided 129.3GW·h, and was the UK's leading renewable energy source, representing 39.4% of all renewable energy produced in 2006. The UK has committed to a target of 10.3% of renewable energy in transport to comply with the Renewable Energy Directive of the European Union, but has not yet implemented legislation to meet this target.Other biofuels can provide a close-to-carbon-neutral energy source, if locally grown. In South America and Asia, the production of biofuels for export has in some cases resulted in significant ecological damage, including the clearing of rainforest. In 2004, biofuels provided 105.9GW·h, 38% of it wood. This represented an increase of 500% from 1990.
The UK is importing large quantities of wood pellets from the United States, replacing coal at several generating stations.