Energy security means a country can reliably get the energy it needs, at prices people can afford, and can cope when supplies are disrupted. In UK policy it covers three things: enough supply to meet demand at peak times, resilience to shocks such as a pipeline outage or a war abroad, and protection from sharp price spikes in international markets.
How dependent the UK is on imports
The UK has been a net importer of energy since 2004, as North Sea oil and gas production declined. The government’s annual energy statistics, DUKES, show how much of the energy used is imported.
| Measure, 2025 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Net import dependency | 43.3% (43.7% in 2024) |
| Fossil fuel dependency | 75.1% |
| Oil and gas share of energy imports | over 90% |
| Norway’s share of gas imports | almost 70% |
| LNG share of gas imports | 30% |
| Renewable share of electricity generation | 52.1% |
Norway supplies almost all pipeline gas imports, and the United States is the largest source of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The UK’s LNG terminals let it buy cargoes from around the world, which spreads the risk but exposes prices to global demand.
Gas storage and interconnectors
Britain’s gas storage is small relative to winter demand, so security of gas supply rests mainly on a range of import routes: Norwegian pipelines, LNG terminals and links to mainland Europe. Low stocks can matter in a cold winter or when global prices rise sharply.
For electricity, Great Britain has 10 interconnectors with a combined capacity of 10.3 GW, linking it to Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the island of Ireland. Electricity imports reached a record 44 TWh in 2025. The Capacity Market adds a further layer by paying for capacity to be available when the system is tight.
The role of renewables
Electricity generated at home from wind, solar and nuclear does not depend on imported fuel, so the government presents clean power as a route to energy security as well as lower emissions. Gas remains important for heating and for back-up generation.
Read more: UK grid live: electricity mix and carbon intensity now.