Clean Power 2030 will halve gas imports for power generation

London, 3 March – The UK’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan is projected to slash gas imports by 57% through the rollout of low-carbon power generation, reveals new analysis from global energy think-tank Ember. This analysis shows that achieving the plan will not only decarbonise the UK’s power sector but shield consumers from volatile gas prices, set on the international market.

The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan targets gas use in the power sector, but Ember’s analysis shows that British households could save even more with policies aimed at reducing import reliance across the UK’s wider economy. Beyond power, it is heating and transport which form the majority of household energy expenditure, and both depend on fuel imports.

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Clean Power 2030 builds energy security by cutting gas dependence

The report highlights that reducing gas demand is the only way to cut import reliance and bring stability to consumer energy bills. The wholesale price of gas power is extremely volatile, based on conditions in the global market. On average, using gas for power generation was 88% more expensive in 2024 than before the energy price crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Over the course of 2024, the cost of generating electricity from gas rose by a third and continued to climb into 2025. As UK domestic gas production is in long term decline, replacing gas dependency with low-cost wind and solar can insulate households and businesses from that price volatility.

Reducing gas reliance will be a major win for UK energy security. A more secure, stable and self-sufficient power system is possible, but requires a faster approach to building of new energy infrastructure.

Frankie Mayo
‍Senior Energy Analyst UK, Ember

The UK should keep a laser focus on achieving the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan to shield itself from volatile global markets for fossil fuels. The more the UK can scale up renewables and switch to technologies that use homegrown wind and solar, the less risk of repeating the impacts of the last gas price crisis

Frankie Mayo
‍Senior Energy Analyst UK, Ember

Electrifying energy demand cuts import dependence on heating

Import dependence for fossil fuels is set to increase, introducing new cost risks for reliant technologies. Ember finds that a gas boiler installed in 2025 will rely on imports for 78% of its lifetime fuel use, compared to just 49% for a boiler installed in 2009. In contrast, electricity supply is forecast to become increasingly homegrown. By 2030, heat pumps will require 83% less imported energy than gas boilers while being three times more efficient and, in some cases, less expensive to run. Beyond the power sector, electrification will significantly reduce UK exposure to gas price volatility in the wider economy by scaling up low-cost, homegrown alternatives.

About Ember

Ember is an independent energy think tank that aims to accelerate the clean energy transition with data and policy. It creates targeted data insights to advance policies that urgently shift the world to a clean, electrified energy future.

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