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Great Britain covers England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland operates in a separate electricity market.
Why gas share matters
Gas-fired generation is flexible and often responds when demand is high, wind is low or other sources are unavailable. That flexibility makes gas important for balancing, but it also raises carbon intensity compared with low-carbon sources.
A higher gas share is usually a sign that today's electricity mix is more carbon intensive, although imports, nuclear output and demand also affect the final carbon-intensity value.
Recent gas context
Highest average gas output was about 11.8 GW on Monday 28 September; lowest was about 4.1 GW on Sunday 27 September.
Gas-heavy periods are useful to watch for flexible demand: EV charging, appliance use and battery charging may have cleaner alternatives when wind, solar or lower demand improve the mix.
FAQs
Is gas always the marginal generator?
No. Gas is often important at the margin in GB, but the actual marginal source changes with demand, imports, renewables and market conditions.
Does a low gas share mean low carbon electricity?
Often, but not automatically. Carbon intensity also depends on the rest of the mix, including imports and other fossil or low-carbon sources.
Related pages
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