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GB grid nowLow-carbon81%Wind60.9%Solar2.8%Nuclear13.6%Gas14.5%Imports4.9%Carbon intensity68 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 now81%of Britain’s electricity is coming from low-carbon sources this half hourLive data

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Policy & markets newsPolicy & markets · UKGovernment asks who should pay for the gas network as households switch away from gasThe Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has opened a call for evidence on a question that will matter more each year: as homes and businesses leave the gas grid, who pays to keep it running, and who pays…
Storage & gridUK proposes up to 14 years in prison for damaging undersea power cables, pipelines and data linksThe government has published a White Paper proposing new criminal offences for damaging the cables and pipelines on the seabed that carry…Policy & marketsJackdaw gas field gets the go-ahead as the Chancellor sets up a £2bn Energy Wealth FundThe Jackdaw gas field in the central North Sea can now go into production. The Energy Secretary agreed on 14 October 2026 that the regulator…

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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…

Calculator

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

81%

Carbon intensityLast 24 hours

68gCO₂/kWh

Wind share of generationLast 24 hours

61%

30-day average carbon intensityLast 30 days

Range 31–247

113gCO₂/kWh

Great Britain, half-hourly to 24 Oct, 16:00 UK time. Source: NESO Carbon Intensity API. Live grid data →

Sectors

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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.