Natural gas consumption in the United Kingdom 2003-2023

The consumption of natural gas in the United Kingdom has fluctuated during the period under consideration, dropping to a low of 2.29 exajoules in 2023.

Gas central heating

Gas is by the far the most common method of heating in the UK, with nearly 80 percent of the population using it to heat their homes. However, in 2019 Chancellor Phillip Hammond put forward plans to ban fossil fuel heating systems in new homes built after 2025. The shift from gas central heating to low carbon electric systems such as heat pumps is expected to increase power demand for this sector to approximately 100 terawatt-hours a year by 2050. In 2021, the total electricity demand stood at over 334 terawatt hours.

Natural gas electricity generation

Natural gas plays a vital role in the nation’s electricity generation mix, making up a share of 36 percent in 2020. But projections show this is expected to change in the following decades. Whilst generation is expected to be approximately 77 terawatt hours in 2025, by 2035 it is estimated to drop to just 34 terawatt hours.