About our UK Energy news
Latest news on UK Energy, covering energy bills, the Ofgem price cap, gas and electricity prices, renewables, nuclear, net zero, oil and gas, and fuel poverty.
The UK energy landscape is shaped by the ongoing tension between the legacy of the energy crisis that began in late 2021 and the accelerating transition towards clean power. Ofgem, the energy regulator, reviews the energy price cap every quarter, setting maximum unit rates and standing charges for households on default tariffs. While bills have fallen from their peak, they remain significantly above pre-crisis levels, with millions of households struggling to keep up. Energy debt has climbed to around £5.5 billion, and fuel poverty affects over three million households in England alone, with far higher rates in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The government's Clean Power 2030 Action Plan sets out an ambitious target for clean sources to meet at least 95% of Great Britain's electricity generation by the end of the decade. Wind power is central to this goal: in 2025, wind generated around 30% of the country's electricity, with a record-breaking 23,825 MW produced on a single day in December. A record 8.4 GW of offshore wind capacity was secured in the Allocation Round 7 auction in January 2026, the largest offshore wind auction in European history, unlocking an estimated £22 billion in private investment. Onshore wind, solar energy, and battery storage are also expanding rapidly, while grid upgrades costing tens of billions of pounds are under way to handle the shift.
Great British Energy (GBE), the publicly owned energy company headquartered in Aberdeen, is a flagship initiative aiming to accelerate the transition. GBE has published a £1 billion Local Power Plan to support over 1,000 community-led clean energy projects by 2030, including solar panels on schools, community centres, and places of worship. More than 100 schools have already had GBE-funded solar panels installed, with estimated lifetime savings running into hundreds of millions of pounds. These initiatives are designed to ensure that the benefits of cheaper, cleaner energy reach local communities rather than flowing solely to large energy companies.
Nuclear energy remains a contentious but significant part of the UK's energy mix. Hinkley Point C in Somerset, the country's first new nuclear power station in a generation, has faced repeated delays and cost overruns. Its projected cost has risen to around £35 billion in 2015 prices — nearly £48 billion in current terms — with Unit 1 now expected to begin generating electricity in 2030, years behind the original schedule. Sizewell C in Suffolk has also been confirmed, based on a near-identical design. Meanwhile, the UK continues to depend on North Sea oil and gas, though production is in long-term decline, leaving the country increasingly exposed to volatile global wholesale gas prices that continue to drive up electricity costs through the marginal pricing system.
For households, the practical impact is felt through energy bills, tariffs, and the day-to-day cost of heating and powering a home. The government's decision to shift some green levies from bills into general taxation has delivered a reduction of around £150 for typical households. Alongside this, the expanded Warm Home Discount provides rebates to nearly six million low-income households. Yet campaigners and charities continue to call for deeper structural reform, including a social tariff for the poorest households, a nationwide insulation programme, and faster progress on heat pumps and smart meters — measures they argue are essential to tackling fuel poverty at its root rather than relying on short-term bill support.
Our NewsNow feed on UK Energy brings together the latest headlines from across the sector, from Ofgem price cap announcements and energy supplier news to developments in offshore wind, solar, nuclear, and energy policy. Whether you are tracking the clean power transition, monitoring gas and electricity prices, or following the debate over energy security and net zero, this feed provides comprehensive, up-to-date coverage to help you stay informed.