Analysis: Record wind and solar saved UK from gas imports worth £1bn in March 2026
Why it matters: The UK avoided £1 billion in gas import costs in March 2026 due to record wind and solar generation.
- Carbon Brief analysis reveals that record wind and solar generation saved the UK from £1 billion in gas imports in March 2026.
- Wind generation in Great Britain reached a new March record, increasing 38% year-on-year.
- Solar output nearly matched the exceptionally sunny spring of the previous year.
- Combined wind and solar generated 11 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, a 28% increase and a new record for the month.
- This record output avoided the need to import 21 TWh of gas, equivalent to about 18 fully loaded LNG tankers.
- Gas-fired electricity generation fell 25% year-on-year in March 2026, reaching its lowest level ever recorded for the month.
The UK dramatically reduced its reliance on costly gas imports in March 2026, saving an estimated £1 billion, thanks to record-breaking electricity generation from wind and solar. This surge in renewable energy, up 28% year-on-year, allowed gas-fired electricity generation to hit its lowest March level ever, despite high global gas prices exacerbated by the Iran war.
