Short answer
Britain imports when neighbouring electricity is useful, available or cheaper, and exports when Britain has surplus or market conditions favour sending power out. The carbon impact depends on what is generating on each side of the link.
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This page does not include a verified current observation. The interactive dashboard requests the latest available source data and labels its observation period. If that request fails, current values remain unavailable; archived reports are not substituted.
Great Britain covers England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland operates in a separate electricity market.
Imports and exports right now
The live dashboard shows interconnector flows where data is available. Positive and negative flows indicate whether Britain is importing from or exporting to linked markets.
What interconnectors are
Interconnectors connect Britain to electricity markets such as France, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Denmark. They help balance systems across borders.
Why Britain imports electricity
Imports can help when British demand is high, domestic generation is constrained, neighbouring power is cheaper, or low-carbon electricity is available abroad.
Why Britain exports electricity
Exports can happen when Britain has strong renewable output, lower domestic demand, or market prices that favour sending electricity to another country.
Carbon impact
Imports are not automatically clean or dirty. Their carbon impact depends on the exporting country’s live generation mix and the wider market context.
FAQs
Does imported electricity count in the UK electricity mix?
It affects electricity consumption and balancing, but generation-mix charts may show imports separately from domestic generation.
Can Britain export renewable electricity?
Yes. During strong renewable periods and favourable market conditions, Britain can export electricity.
Are imports always lower carbon?
No. It depends on the exporting system’s generation mix at that time.
Related pages
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