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GB grid nowLow-carbon40%Wind11.8%Solar7.7%Nuclear12.8%Gas53.2%Imports6.4%Carbon intensity214 g/kWh

Independent · UK · Since 2023

Britain’s power, explained

Solar, wind, heat, storage, hydrogen and nuclear: how they work, what they cost and what they mean for the UK.

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GB grid right now40%of Britain’s electricity is coming from low-carbon sources this half hourLive data

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Policy & markets news

Policy & markets · UKEnergy Independence Bill introduced: what it would change for bills, renters and regulationThe government introduced the Energy Independence Bill in Parliament on Wednesday 4 November 2026. It is a wide-ranging package covering consumer protection, support with bills, home upgrades and energy infrastructure.…4 Nov 2026

Policy & marketsEnergy Independence Bill: community benefit payments and ownership stakes for new wind and solarDevelopers of new onshore wind and ground-mounted solar projects over 5MW would have to pay into community benefit funds, or provide…4 Nov 2026 Homes & buildingsHeat pump grant applications hit a record in September as the Budget sets future fundingThe Boiler Upgrade Scheme received 9,738 voucher applications in September 2026, the most in any month since it opened in 2022. That was 30%…2 Nov 2026

New guides and tools

Row of heat pumps outside a building promoting sustainable energy solutions.

Homes & buildings

Boiler Upgrade Scheme 2026: grants, eligibility and how it works

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a government grant towards the cost of replacing fossil-fuel or electric heating with a heat pump or, in limited rural cases,…

A person reaching out from an attic window overlooking a winter landscape.

Homes & buildings

Insulation grants in the UK (2026): loft, cavity wall and solid wall

If you are looking for a loft insulation grant in late 2026, the main route in England is now the Warm Homes: Local Grant, run through local councils. The Great…

Off-grid solar calculator

Size panels and a battery to run a UK home without the grid, month by month, and see the winter gap a generator or wood stove would have to fill.

Open Calculator

Electricity cost calculator

What an appliance or heater costs to run per hour, day, month and year at the current price cap rate.

Britain’s grid in numbers

Low-carbon share of GB electricityLast 24 hours

40%

Carbon intensityLast 24 hours

214gCO₂/kWh

Wind share of generationLast 24 hours

12%

30-day average carbon intensityLast 30 days

Range 43–279

145gCO₂/kWh

Great Britain, half-hourly to 11 Nov, 12:00 UK time. Source: NESO Carbon Intensity API. Live grid data →

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Most read explainers

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Blue swings in a sunny outdoor playground with sand and grass.

Energy-generating playgrounds: turning fun into power

A lively nightclub with people dancing and enjoying music under colorful lights.

Piezoelectric dance floors: can dancing power a club?

A modern canal lock system featuring safety buoys and lock gates on a sunny day.

Canal-based hydropower systems

Front view of the TU Delft Reactor Institute, Netherlands in daylight.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) in the energy transition

Close-up of a glass filled with sparkling water and ice cubes on a white background.

Solar-powered ice makers: how off-grid ice and cold chains work

A detailed view of hot embers and burning firewood, creating a warm atmosphere.

The evolution of biomass energy: from ancient fire to modern power stations

Orange train speeding on railway tracks in dense fog with speed sign visible.

Magnetic levitation trains: how maglev works and how much energy it uses

High-rise building with cranes in urban area against blue sky backdrop.

Gravity energy storage: lifting weights to store power

Energy glossary

Plain-English definitions of the words in energy news and bills.

AlbedoThe share of incoming sunlight that a surface reflects, on a scale from 0 (absorbs everything) to 1 (reflects everything).Anaerobic digestionA process in which microbes break down organic material such as food waste, slurry and crops without oxygen, producing biogas and a fertiliser called digestate.Balancing MechanismThe real-time market the National Energy System Operator uses to pay generators, batteries and large users to change their output so supply matches demand every second.