What is happening to energy prices and where does our power come from?
Home energy prices were 6.0% higher than a year earlier in August 2026, petrol 20.2% higher and diesel 27.8% higher. In September 2026, 68% of Great Britain’s electricity came from wind, solar, hydro, biomass and nuclear, and each kilowatt-hour released 108 grams of carbon dioxide.
Electricity, gas and other fuels, August 2026, on a year earlier. ↓ Down 3.3 points on the rate a year before.
Petrol and diesel, August 2026, on a year earlier.
Great Britain, September 2026. ↑ Up 4 points on a year earlier.
Grams of CO₂ for each kilowatt-hour, September 2026. ↓ Down 4 g on a year earlier.
The detail
Each page has the figures, the trend, a table and the questions people ask.
What electricity and gas cost, how that compares with prices overall, and when energy peaked.
See energy prices →Pump prices on a year earlier, and what the government raises from fuel duty.
See petrol and diesel →The mix of wind, gas, nuclear and solar, month by month, and how clean each region is right now.
See the electricity mix →Renewable and nuclear shares, energy use, imports and carbon dioxide per person, ranked.
Compare countries →Questions and answers at three levels, charts and a data table, ready to print.
Open the pack →Every energy series as a chart, a table and a CSV file.
See all trends →Energy in the household budget
The ONS counts home energy as about 3.2% of what a typical household spends, and petrol, diesel and other fuels for vehicles as about 2.6% (2026 weights). That is why a big rise in energy prices is felt widely even though energy is a small slice of the average budget. It is a larger slice for people on low incomes and for people who drive a lot or heat a large home.
Energy over time
What’s this?
How much higher the cost of electricity, gas and other fuels for the home is than a year earlier.
What it cannot tell you: It is an average across households and tariffs. Your own bill depends on how much energy you use, your supplier and your tariff.
What’s this?
How much higher petrol prices are than a year earlier.
What it cannot tell you: It is an average across the country and across stations; the price where you fill up can differ.
What’s this?
The share of Great Britain's electricity made from wind, solar, hydro, biomass and nuclear.
What it cannot tell you: It covers Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), not Northern Ireland, and shows the average over a month, so it hides big swings from hour to hour. Whether biomass counts as low-carbon is debated.
What’s this?
How much carbon dioxide is released, on average, for each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated in Great Britain, including imports.
What it cannot tell you: It covers Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), not Northern Ireland, and shows the average over a month, so it hides big swings from hour to hour.
Questions people ask
Are energy bills going up or down?
Home energy prices (electricity, gas and other fuels) were +6.0% on a year earlier in August 2026. A positive number means prices are higher than a year ago, even if they have fallen since a peak. See energy prices.
What is the energy price cap?
Ofgem, the energy regulator, limits the price per unit that suppliers can charge on standard tariffs in England, Wales and Scotland and updates the limit every three months. It is a cap on unit prices, not on your bill, which depends on how much you use. We show the ONS price measure because it tracks what households pay across all tariffs. The cap itself is published by Ofgem.
Where does Britain’s electricity come from?
In September 2026: wind 38%, gas 21%, nuclear 13%, solar 7%, biomass 9%, hydro 2%, imports 8%. The mix changes hour by hour with the wind and the sun. See the detail.
What is carbon intensity?
How many grams of carbon dioxide are released to make each kilowatt-hour of electricity. A lower number means cleaner power. It changes through the day and across the year, and it is lowest when wind output is high.
Does this include Northern Ireland?
The price figures cover the UK. The electricity mix covers Great Britain only (England, Scotland and Wales) because Northern Ireland has a separate grid.
Sources: ONS Consumer Prices Index (energy prices and weights); NESO Carbon Intensity API (electricity mix, Great Britain). Updated every night.
See also: Prices and pay · The UK against other countries · Government finances · Everything over time