In 2025, the UK increased its use of fossil fuels for electricity generation by 2%
All this despite adding 4 gigawatts of ‘renewables ‘- lots of extra wind priced at high CFD prices for the next TWENTY YEARS – lots of security at luxury prices.
Solar PV: The largest contributor, with a 14% increase in capacity leading to a 36.6% rise in generation to 20 TWh.
Offshore Wind: Added 1.0 GW in the third quarter alone, contributing to a total wind generation of 87.1 TWh (a 4.1% increase).
Total Generation: These new installations helped renewables generate a record 152.5 TWh, representing 52.5% of the UK’s total electricity generation for the year.
The expansion was supported by record weather conditions, including the UK’s sunniest year on record, which significantly boosted solar output alongside the deployment of new large-scale farms and rooftop installations.
capacity’
From Brave AI:
“Fossil fuel use for power generation in the UK increased by 2.0% in 2025 compared to 2024, rising from a record low the previous year. This increase was driven by gas, which saw generation rise by 4.7% to become the largest single source of electricity, accounting for 31.5% of total generation.
Key factors contributing to this shift included:
A 12% drop in nuclear generation, which fell to a record low of 35.9 TWh.
A reduction in net electricity imports, which fell by 11%.
No coal-fired power generation for the entire year, as the last plant closed in 2024.
Despite the rise in fossil fuel usage, renewables still provided a record 52.5% of electricity generation, with wind contributing 30% and solar 6.9%.
The UK added 3.8 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable capacity in 2025, bringing the total renewable capacity to 65.1 GW. This increase was driven primarily by solar PV, which accounted for 2.9 GW (70% of new capacity), and offshore wind, which contributed 1.0 GW.”
“Renewable electricity generation in the UK is supported by government schemes like the Renewables Obligation (RO) and Contracts for Difference (CfD), which historically provided fixed prices to generators but are increasingly being reduced or funded more by the state than consumers.
“As of 2025, the average unit rate for electricity on a standard variable tariff for a typical household paying by Direct Debit was 26.35 pence per kWh (including VAT) from October to December, though this includes policy costs rather than just the wholesale cost of renewable power.
Specific wholesale savings attributed to wind power in 2024 were estimated at £25–27 per MWh, effectively reducing the overall market price, but the direct “price” of renewable energy for consumers is embedded in the total unit rate and standing charges rather than a separate line item.”
Wholesale savings of£25–27 per MWh. where ???
The government announced in November 2025 that from April 2026, it would reduce consumer contributions to the RO scheme, lowering the average household electricity bill by £92 per year, indicating that a portion of current costs is directly tied to these renewable support schemes.
A reduction will be more than swallowed by an upcoming £330 increase in July 2026.
Note the marginal cost pricing mechanism used in household bills uses the price f the last unit supplied – in the UK’s case this is always gas – despite the record high prices for the renewables that are the first sources of electricity – gas – which is now made up of expensive imports from the US – not the North Sea – where prices could be mandated at cost to ‘tide us over’ during his emergency
A little more context from Brave AI:
“The cost to extract gas from the North Sea is significantly higher than global averages, with lifting costs (operating costs) averaging £19.49 per barrel of oil equivalent (boe) in 2024, a rise from £13.82 in 2020 and £18.59 in 2023.
In 2025, the United Kingdom imported 12.9 billion cubic meters (bcm) of LNG, with 68% of these shipments originating from the United States, though the specific monetary price per unit is not detailed in the provided search context.
Liquefaction and Transport Costs: The value chain includes a base price linked to the US Henry Hub, a liquefaction fee (historically ranging from $2.25 to $3.50 per million British thermal units, though recent contracts are around $2/MMBtu), and variable shipping costs that depend on market conditions and destination.
Market Volatility: Actual delivered prices to the UK vary significantly; for instance, during the 2022 energy crisis, US LNG exports surged to meet European demand, driving global prices up, while market conditions in 2025 saw the US supply approximately 15.3% of the UK’s total gas consumption.
Lots moe renewables in 2025 – lots mor gas – somebody is bullshitting someone – guess who?
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