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GB grid nowLow-carbon82%Wind58.9%Solar0.0%Nuclear17.9%Gas5.6%Imports12.8%Carbon intensity54 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 now82%of Britain’s electricity is coming from low-carbon sources this half hourLive data

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Storage & grid newsStorage & grid · UKOfgem approves £642m for the Bramford to Twinstead grid upgrade, cutting £60.6m from the bidOfgem has signed off a £642.1 million funding package for National Grid Electricity Transmission's Bramford to Twinstead project, a reinforcement of the high-voltage network between Suffolk and Essex. The regulator…
Homes & buildingsGovernment consults on tighter standby power limits for household and office electronicsThe Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has opened a consultation on tighter rules for how much electricity household and…BioenergyBiomethane plants get two more years to commission under the Green Gas Support SchemeDevelopers of biomethane plants now have until 31 March 2030 to get their projects running under the Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS). The…

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Peaceful hillside with lush greenery and a solar-paneled cabin by the water.
Homes & buildings

Off-grid living in the UK: can a typical home become energy-independent?

The short answer: yes for electricity, at a cost. Off-grid living in the UK is achievable for lights and appliances if you oversize your solar array and battery…

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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.

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Electricity cost calculator

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

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Best time to use electricity today

Live 48-hour forecast of the greenest hours on the GB grid, with the best window for your washing or car charging.

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Britain’s grid in numbers

Data →

Low-carbon share of GB electricityLast 24 hours

82%

Carbon intensityLast 24 hours

54gCO₂/kWh

Wind share of generationLast 24 hours

59%

30-day average carbon intensityLast 30 days

Range 31–247

118gCO₂/kWh

Great Britain, half-hourly to 22 Oct, 04:00 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.
Emerging tech

Energy-generating playgrounds: turning fun into power

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

Piezoelectric dance floors: can dancing power a club?

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

Canal-based hydropower systems

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

Small modular reactors (SMRs) in the energy transition

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

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.
Bioenergy

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.
Transport

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

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

Gravity energy storage: lifting weights to store power

Energy glossary

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

A–Z glossary
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.