A new report finds Britain’s growing wind and solar capacity has significantly reduced costly gas imports, saving millions daily amid market volatility.
LONDON: Britain’s expansion of renewable energy has cushioned it from the worst impacts of surging gas prices since the start of the Middle East war.
A new report from think-tank Ember reveals clean power cut national gas purchases by £7 million a day compared to the 2021-2023 energy crisis.
Energy prices in the UK remain among the highest in Europe, partly because over a quarter of its electricity still comes from natural gas.
However, Britain is a European leader in adopting renewables, thanks to significant onshore and offshore wind capacity.
Wind alone generated nearly 30% of the country’s power in 2025, according to the National Energy System Operator.
The UK government has pledged that low-carbon sources will meet 100% of electricity demand by 2030.
Ember noted Britain has added more than a quarter of its current wind and solar capacity since the start of the last energy crisis.
“Strong renewables generation reduced the need for gas purchases when prices spiked,” said report co-author Josie Murdoch.
According to the analysis, had gas output stayed at 2021 levels, the cost of gas for power generation in the first weeks of the war would have been 52% higher.
“It shows that even before deployment targets are achieved, wind and solar are already cutting the dependence on gas and delivering real savings,” Murdoch added.
