Renewable technologies generated over half of the UK's total electricity in 2024, according to official government statistics, rising from around 46.5% in 20231. The figures were reported by industry body RenewableUK and cited in a subsequent review of electric heating1.
The share of electricity from renewables has moved unevenly within the year. Just under half, 48.6%, of UK electricity in the fourth quarter of 2024 came from renewable sources, down from 50.9% in the first quarter of 20242. Over the 12 months to January 2025, renewables accounted for 42.3% of the UK's overall energy production, a broader measure than electricity alone, with wind contributing 29.5% of that total2. A separate industry article gives the same 42.3% figure for the January 2024 to January 2025 period3.
Within renewable electricity generation, offshore wind was the largest single source in 2024 at 48,927 GWh2. Total renewable electricity generation reached 144,706 GWh in 2024, an increase of 6.53% on the 135,831 GWh generated in 20232. Wind as a whole, onshore and offshore, produced 84,058 GWh, or 58.09% of all renewable generation2.
Generation by nation in 2024 was as follows2:
| Nation | Renewable electricity generated (GWh) |
|---|---|
| Scotland | 38,440 |
| Wales | 7,748 |
| Northern Ireland | 3,881 |
| United Kingdom | 144,706 |
The sources differ on the precise framing of the headline figure. One describes renewables providing over half of total electricity generation in 2024, up from around 46.5% the year before1. Another reports that in 2025 renewables made up just over half of UK electricity generation4. The quarterly figures show the renewable share of electricity at 50.9% in the first quarter of 2024 and 48.6% in the fourth quarter2, so the annual share depends on how the year is aggregated.
Why it matters for households
A grid that draws more than half its electricity from renewables changes what a unit of electricity represents in carbon terms, but not what it costs. The price cap covering 1 January to 31 March 2026 lists electricity at 27.69 pence per kWh with a 54.75 pence daily standing charge, against gas at 5.93 pence per kWh with a 35.09 pence standing charge1. Electricity therefore remains roughly four times the price of gas per unit1.
For a home's energy independence, the generation mix matters most where a household uses electricity for heating or hot water rather than gas. Electric combi boilers typically range from around 6 kW to 15 kW for domestic models, and units over 12 kW often require a three-phase connection, which needs approval from the Distribution Network Operator1. Most UK homes have a single-phase supply1. The same review notes that electric boilers are technically 100% efficient but that running costs are usually higher, especially in larger homes1.
The renewable share also affects how green a grid-supplied unit is over time, since electric heating becomes lower-carbon as the mix shifts, without changes inside the home1. For households on a green tariff, the fuel mix a supplier reports is separate from the national generation figure: one comparison lists overall renewable shares ranging from 2% to 86.4% across major suppliers for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 20254.
What happens next
The government's Future Homes Standard requires a 75-80% reduction in carbon emissions compared with current building regulations for new homes1. Plans to reduce new gas boiler installations from 2035 onwards have been revised, and the UK's net zero target is dated 20501. No further dated steps on the generation mix itself have been reported.
Sources4 cited
- Are Electric Combi Boilers Ready? Costs & Pros Explained - WarmZilla, warmzilla.co.uk
- UK renewable energy statistics - Uswitch, uswitch.com
- Can the grid keep up?, ciphe.org.uk
- Green energy: stats, guides and deals - Uswitch, uswitch.com