- Domestic energy production fell to 94.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2025, 68% below its 1999 peak.
- Renewables supplied a record 52.1% of UK electricity, but fossil fuels still met 75.1% of total primary energy consumption.
- Industrial energy use dropped to its lowest level in at least 50 years, raising questions about how much of the decline reflects efficiency and how much represents lost production.
UK energy production has fallen to its lowest recorded level even as wind and solar generation reached new highs, exposing the sharp difference between progress in electricity and the wider economy’s continuing dependence on oil and gas.
Total production declined by 0.6% to 94.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2025, according to the government’s Digest of UK Energy Statistics.
That was 26% below 2019 and 68% below the 1999 peak. Oil output increased by 2.6%, but remained 41% below its pre-pandemic level. Natural gas production fell by 3.4% to a record low as mature North Sea fields continued to decline.
Nuclear output dropped 11% because of outages across the ageing reactor fleet. Wind, solar and hydro production rose by 7.3%, supported by new capacity and favourable weather.
The electricity figures provide the clearest evidence of structural change. Renewables generated a record 153TWh and supplied 52.1% of UK power, compared with 50.5% in 2024.
Wind contributed 29.5% of generation, including a record 17.7% from offshore projects. Solar’s share rose from 5.2% to 6.9% following capacity growth and exceptionally sunny conditions.
“Clean power is right at the heart of our modern energy system,” said RenewableUK chief executive Tara Singh.
“We can build on today’s milestone by attracting record levels of investment in new wind and solar projects in this year’s clean energy auction which opened this month… We’re looking forward to the Government announcing the budget soon, and hope that it will be set at a level which maximises the amount of low-cost power we can deliver.”
The fall in nuclear generation meant the overall low-carbon share increased only modestly to 64.3%. Gas remained the largest individual source after wind, supplying 31.75% of electricity.
Across the full energy system, fossil-fuel dependence was largely unchanged at 75.1%. Transport, heating and industrial processes continue to consume far more oil and gas than the power sector.
Net import dependence edged down from 43.7% to 43.3%, but the composition of supply changed. Pipeline gas imports fell 4.6%, while LNG imports increased 24%. More than 90% of UK energy imports continued to consist of oil and gas.
The country also became more dependent on imported refined products after Grangemouth and Lindsey ceased refining operations. Refinery output fell 4.8%, while net petroleum-product imports reached a record 15.5 million tonnes, according to DUKES oil statistics.
Demand figures require equally careful interpretation. Final energy consumption fell 0.5%, with industrial use down 4.9% to its lowest level in at least five decades. Industrial energy demand has declined 51% since 2000.
Some of that reduction reflects genuine efficiency gains and the shift towards higher-value, less energy-intensive activities. It also reflects contraction in chemicals, metals and other manufacturing sectors exposed to high UK energy costs.
Lower consumption should not therefore be treated automatically as successful decarbonisation. Closing a factory reduces territorial emissions and energy demand, but it may simply move production and associated emissions overseas.
The statistics describe an economy progressing rapidly in one part of its transition while moving more slowly elsewhere. Renewable electricity is increasingly domestic and low carbon, yet vehicles, heating systems and industry remain tied to traded fuels.
Greater electrification could eventually reconcile those trends by allowing domestic renewable power to displace imported oil and gas. Until then, falling North Sea and refining output will increase the importance of international supply chains, storage and resilient import infrastructure, even as the electricity mix becomes progressively cleaner.
