Britain turned to gas to keep the lights on when the wind dropped in a summer of heatwaves, new figures have revealed.
Gas was used to generate up to half of the country’s electricity during a spate of hot and windless spells over the summer.
Under Net Zero plans, 95 per cent of our electricity will come from clean sources by 2030, with gas phased down to a fraction of its current input.
However, unlike gas, wind and solar are weather-dependent.
This means that a backup is needed for when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining.
Industry leaders say the latest figures show the importance of gas to the energy mix.
The summer brought a phenomenon known as ‘Hitzeflaute’ – the German term for ‘heat lull’.
These occur when a spell of high pressure leads to plenty of sunshine but little wind for three days or more.
Gas replaced wind during the heatwave
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The result was a drop in wind generation just as demand for cooling systems grew, including devices such as fans and air conditioning.
Britain saw four ‘Hitzeflaute’ spells this summer. Solar filled in some of the demand, with solar generating a record-breaking 14.4 per cent of all power in July.
However, it was Britain’s gas plants that did the “heavy lifting”, according to Future Energy Networks, the membership body for the UK gas-network industry.
During ‘Hitzeflaute’ spells between June and August, gas generated an average of 36 per cent of electricity.
This reached a high of 50 per cent on June 30, when gas delivered 353 GWh of power and wind just 79 GWh.
However, June 13, which was a non-Hitzeflaute day, saw wind generate 357 GWh and gas 70 GWh.
James Earl, CEO of FEN, said that the latest figures show that “a secure and resilient energy future needs gas firmly in the mix”.
He commented: “Britain’s gas networks have put a real shift in over a hot summer, demonstrating unprecedented flexibility to meet the high demand and low generation periods of Hitzeflaute.
“These striking statistics underscore how our world-class gas network is a true national asset and why regulation must support continued private investment.
“The lesson is clear: a secure and resilient energy future needs gas firmly in the mix.” Opposition parties have called for a new approach to the energy system, with a greater emphasis on firm power.
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho recently backed a report calling for gas to provide more than a fifth of the nation’s electricity up to and beyond 2050.
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform, added that a reliance on renewables meant the nation was paying twice – once for the green power network and again for the backup needed when weather conditions weren’t ideal.
He said: “This shocking data shows the foolishness of betting the house on wind and solar for electricity. “The system now needs to pay twice to ensure there is full backup.”
Energy issues impacted the UK during the summer
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GETTYDespite the Government pledging bills would come down by £300, Mr Tice accused Labour of instead leaving Britons hundreds of pounds worse off.
Andrew Montford, director of campaign group Net Zero Watch, said our gas power plants should be treated as “critical resources”.
He said: “This study is an important reminder that gas is keeping the lights on at all times of the year.
“The Government urgently needs to start treating gas and gas-fired power stations as critical resources rather than as embarrassing failures on the road to Net Zero.”
Hitzeflaute is the summer equivalent of Dunkelflaute, a dark wind lull with little sun.
During these spells, both wind and solar generation are affected.
A spokesman for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “Gas will continue to play a key role as we transition to more secure, clean homegrown energy – with clean power already making up 73 per cent of electricity generation in 2025.
“We have already approved enough clean energy to power the equivalent of more than twenty million homes and seen £100 billion of private investment announced into clean energy since July 2024.”