Energy Trends and Prices statistical release: 2 April 2026
Summary
Energy Trends and Prices statistical release for 2 April 2026. Summary statistics on energy production, trade, generation, consumption, and domestic price indices.
Why it matters
Release note for the quarterly Energy Trends package. A navigational document; detail is in component publications.
Key facts
- •Release date: 2 April 2026
Areas affected
Memo
What the numbers show
The Q4 2025/Q1 2026 Energy Trends release covers November 2025 to January 2026. The headline: renewables hit 52.7% of major power producer output, while nuclear fell to a record low 11.7%. Gas dropped 16% year-on-year to 34.8%.
Primary energy consumption fell 3.4% (2.1% temperature-adjusted), and indigenous production fell 4.2%. The low-carbon share of major power producer generation reached 64.4%, up 7.8 percentage points year-on-year — almost entirely driven by renewables rather than nuclear.
On prices, petrol rose 9.1p/litre and diesel 17.6p/litre in March 2026 versus February. The diesel jump is notable — nearly double the petrol increase.
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Trends
Renewables displacing gas, not supplementing it. The 26% increase in renewable generation against a 16% drop in gas generation is the clearest evidence yet that wind and solar are directly cannibalising gas-fired output in the merit order. This is the price signal working as intended: when marginal cost is near zero, gas gets pushed off. But it also means gas plants are running fewer hours, which raises the per-MWh fixed cost recovery problem that the Capacity Market is supposed to solve.
Nuclear at a record low. The 12% year-on-year drop to 11.7% of MPP output reflects the ageing fleet. Hinkley Point B closed in 2022, Heysham 1 and Hartlepool in 2024. Torness is on borrowed time. Until Hinkley Point C comes online — currently targeting 2031 at the earliest — nuclear's share will continue to fall. The low-carbon share is growing despite nuclear, not because of it. That is a structural vulnerability: renewables provide volume but not the firm baseload that nuclear does. Every percentage point nuclear loses is a percentage point that gas must be available to cover during low-wind periods.
Demand is falling. The 3.4% drop in primary energy consumption (2.1% adjusted for temperature) continues a long-term trend. Some of this is efficiency gains. Some is deindustrialisation. Some is price response — consumers and businesses using less because energy costs more. The 2.1% temperature-adjusted figure is the one to watch: it strips out weather and shows underlying demand behaviour. A sustained decline in energy consumption while GDP grows is generally positive, but it also means the fixed costs of the system (networks, capacity payments, policy levies) are spread across fewer units, pushing up the per-unit price. The denominator problem.
Fuel prices diverging. The 17.6p/litre diesel increase versus 9.1p for petrol suggests refinery margin pressure or supply tightness specific to middle distillates. Diesel is the fuel of logistics, agriculture, and construction — sectors where demand is inelastic in the short term. This feeds directly into input costs across the economy.
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What to watch
Gas plant economics. If renewables continue to displace gas at this rate, expect more noise about Capacity Market reform. Gas plants running fewer hours need higher capacity payments to stay solvent. The T-4 auction results (due later this year) will show whether clearing prices are rising to reflect this. If they are not, watch for plant closures — particularly older CCGTs that cannot justify the maintenance spend.
Nuclear gap. With nuclear at 11.7% and falling, the period between now and HPC commissioning is the most exposed the system has been to a prolonged low-wind event coinciding with high demand. NESO's winter outlook will need to address this explicitly. The Capacity Market provides a financial backstop, but financial contracts do not generate electrons. The physical margin is what matters.
The denominator problem. Falling consumption plus rising fixed system costs equals higher unit prices. This is already visible in TNUoS charges and will intensify as RIIO-ET3 investment ramps up. Network companies are incentivised to build (Averch-Johnson, as always), and the build programme is enormous — £22bn+ for transmission alone. Every unit of demand that disappears makes each remaining unit more expensive. Watch for whether Ofgem's next price cap methodology update addresses the interaction between declining consumption and rising network charges.
Next release: 30 April 2026. That will include February generation data, which typically shows the tail end of winter demand and the beginning of the spring wind season. If the renewables share holds above 50% into February, the annual average for 2025/26 will be the highest on record.
Source text
Energy production, trade, electricity generation and consumption statistics are provided in total and by fuel (coal, oil, gas and electricity). Energy price statistics cover domestic price indices, prices of road fuels and petroleum products and comparisons of international road fuel prices. For enquiries about these statistics, contact: energy production, trade, electricity generation and consumption - energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk energy prices - energyprices.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk 1. Energy production, trade, electricity generation and consumption Highlights for the 3 month period November 2025 to January 2026, compared to the same period a year earlier include: Primary energy consumption in the UK on a fuel input basis fell by 3.4%, on a temperature adjusted basis consumption fell by 2.1%. ( table ET 1.2 ) Indigenous energy production fell by 4.2%. ( table ET 1.1 ) Electricity generation by Major Power Producers rose by 2.9%, with renewables up 26%, but gas down 16% and nuclear down 12%.* ( table ET 5.4 ) Renewables provided 52.7% of electricity generation by Major Power Producers, with gas at 34.8% and nuclear at a record low 11.7%.* ( table ET 5.4 ) Low carbon share of electricity generation by Major Power Producers up 7.8 percentage points to 64.4%, whilst fossil fuel share down 7.8 percentage points to 35.0%.* ( table ET 5.4 ) *Major Power Producers (MPPs) data published monthly, all generating companies data published quarterly. 2. Energy prices Highlights for March 2026 compared to February 2026: Petrol and diesel prices up by 9.1 and 17.6 pence per litre respectively. ( table QEP 4.1.1 ) 3. Contacts Lead statistician warren.evans@energysecurity.gov.uk Press enquiries newsdesk@energysecurity.gov.uk 4. Data periods and coverage Statistics on monthly production, trade and consumption of coal, oil, gas, electricity and total energy include data up to the end of January 2026. Statistics on average temperatures, heating degree days, wind speeds, sun hours and rainfall include data up to the end of February 2026. Statistics on energy prices include retail price data and EU comparative data for February 2026, and petrol and diesel data for March 2026. 5. Next release The next release will take place on Thursday 30 April 2026. 6. Data tables To access the data tables associated with this release please click on the relevant subject link(s) below. For further information please use the contact details provided. Please note that the links below will always direct you to the latest data tables. If you are interested in historical data tables please contact DESNZ: energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk Subject and table number Energy production, trade, consumption, and weather data Total Energy Contact: energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk ET 1.1 Indigenous production of primary fuels ET 1.2 Inland energy consumption: primary fuel input basis Coal Contact: coalstatistics@energysecurity.gov.uk ET 2.5 Coal production and foreign trade ET 2.6 Coal consumption and coal stocks Oil Contact: oil.statistics@energysecurity.gov.uk ET 3.10 Indigenous production, refinery receipts, imports and exports ET 3.11 Stocks of petroleum ET 3.12 Refinery throughput and output of petroleum products ET 3.13 Deliveries of petroleum products for inland consumption ET 3.14 Imports of primary oil and petroleum products by country of origin ET 3.15 Exports of primary oil and petroleum products by country of destination Gas Contact: gas.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk ET 4.2 Natural gas supply and demand ET 4.3 Natural gas imports ET 4.4 Natural gas exports Electricity Contact: electricitystatistics@energysecurity.gov.uk ET 5.3 Fuel used in electricity generation by major producers ET 5.4 Electricity production and availability from the public supply system ET 5.5 Availability and consumption of electricity Weather Contact: energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk ET 7.1 Average temperatures and heating degree days and deviations from the long term mean ET 7.2 Average wind speeds and deviations from the long term mean ET 7.3 Average daily sun hours and deviations from the long term mean ET 7.4 Average monthly rainfall and deviations from the long term mean Subject and table number Energy prices data Domestic energy price indices Contact: energyprices.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk QEP 2.1.3 Retail prices index: fuels components monthly figures Monthly and annual prices of road fuels and petroleum product Contact: energyprices.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk QEP 4.1.1 Typical retail prices of petroleum products and a crude oil price index (monthly data) International road fuel prices Contact: energyprices.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk QEP 5.1.1 Premium unleaded petrol prices in the EU QEP 5.2.1 Diesel prices in the EU