⚡ UK Energy — Live Dashboard

Wind speeds at major generation sites — now

Below cut-in (<3.5 m/s) Generating (3.5–12 m/s) Full power (12–25 m/s) Cut-out (>25 m/s)

Hornsea

North Sea · Partly cloudy

8.1 m/s 18 mph

Gusts: 8.2 m/s · 18.3 mph

Generating

Last 12h · windiest 00:00 · 9 m/s

Whitelee

Scotland · Partly cloudy

3.3 m/s 7.4 mph

Gusts: 4.4 m/s · 9.8 mph

Below cut-in

Last 12h · windiest 21:00 · 6.3 m/s

Dogger Bank

North Sea · Partly cloudy

7.6 m/s 17.1 mph

Gusts: 8.6 m/s · 19.2 mph

Generating

Last 12h · windiest 22:00 · 8.1 m/s

Irish Sea

NW England · Partly cloudy

11.4 m/s 25.5 mph

Gusts: 12.6 m/s · 28.2 mph

Generating

Last 12h · windiest 22:00 · 12.8 m/s

Thames Est.

SE England · Clear

11.5 m/s 25.7 mph

Gusts: 12.4 m/s · 27.7 mph

Generating

Last 12h · windiest 22:00 · 12.8 m/s

Wash/Norfolk

East England · Clear

8.6 m/s 19.1 mph

Gusts: 6.2 m/s · 13.9 mph

Generating

Last 12h · windiest 16:00 · 9.8 m/s

Wind speed at 80m hub height · Cut-in: 3.5 m/s · Rated: 12 m/s · Cut-out: 25 m/s · Source: Open-Meteo

Carbon saved today vs an all-gas grid — since midnight

CO₂ saved

4,372

tonnes since midnight

Grid carbon intensity

83 gCO₂/kWh

vs 233g for pure gas grid

Saving per kWh

150 g

every kWh used right now

Equivalent to

🚗 36,433

cars off the road today

Or kettles not boiled

🫖 124,914,286

avg kettle boil = 35g CO₂

Hours of data

1.3 hrs

since midnight · updates every 5 min

Grid cleanliness right now 64% cleaner than pure gas

Saving calculated vs a hypothetical all-CCGT-gas grid at 233 gCO₂/kWh · MW × hours gives approximate kWh generated · tonnes CO₂ = saving × kWh ÷ 1,000,000 · car equivalent assumes 120g/km × 10km average journey · updates on every page refresh.

Generation mix — right now

22.4 GW

total demand

Wind 45.0% 10.1 GW

Nuclear 19.1% 4.3 GW

Imports 12.8% 2.9 GW

Biomass 12.2% 2.7 GW

Gas 9.1% 2.0 GW

Hydro 1.1% 247 MW

Other 0.7% 157 MW

Wind

10.1 GW

45.0%

Nuclear

4.3 GW

19.1%

Imports

2.9 GW

12.8%

Biomass

2.7 GW

12.2%

Gas

2.0 GW

9.1%

Hydro

247 MW

1.1%

Other

157 MW

0.7%

Source: National Grid ESO / Carbon Intensity API · Interconnector imports include France, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Ireland.

Generation trends today vs yesterday

Wind & solar — % of grid

Wind today Solar today Wind yest. Solar yest.

3-hourly snapshots · % of GB generation · Carbon Intensity API

Gas & nuclear — % of grid

Gas today Nuclear today Gas yest. Nuclear yest.

Nuclear stays flat · Gas rises as wind drops — watch the inverse relationship

Grid frequency — live

UK grid frequency · updated 01:17:45 · target 50.000 Hz

49.991 Hz

Stable — 0.009 Hz below target · 5-min range: 49.94–49.991 Hz

49.5 Hz (low limit)50.0 Hz50.5 Hz (high limit)

Last 5 minutes · each bar = 15 seconds

What frequency tells us

The UK grid runs at exactly 50 Hz. When demand exceeds supply, frequency falls. When supply exceeds demand, it rises.

Statutory limits are 49.5–50.5 Hz. Below 49.5 Hz triggers automatic generator trips and potential blackouts.

Dinorwig can restore frequency in 16 seconds. Grid batteries respond in under 1 second.

Current reading: frequency is below target — the grid is slightly demand-heavy right now.

Source: Elexon Insights API · 15-second resolution · Statutory limits ±0.5 Hz · Operational target ±0.2 Hz

Interconnectors — cross-border electricity links

Total imports now

↓ 3.5 GW

Summed from live per-link flows

Total exports now

↑ 914 MW

UK generation sent abroad

Net position

2.5 GW

Net importer right now

Total interconnector capacity

10.5 GW

10 links · France, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway & Ireland

Imports % of grid

12.8%

From live Carbon Intensity API (cross-check)

IFA (France)

Interconnexion France-Angleterre · HVDC

↓ Importing 844 MW

2.0 GW max capacity · 42% utilised

IFA2 (France)

Normandy to Fareham · opened 2021

↓ Importing 364 MW

1.0 GW max capacity · 36% utilised

Eleclink (France)

Via the Channel Tunnel · opened 2022

↓ Importing 372 MW

1.0 GW max capacity · 37% utilised

BritNed (Netherlands)

Isle of Grain to Maasvlakte

↓ Importing 658 MW

1.0 GW max capacity · 66% utilised

Nemo (Belgium)

Richborough to Herdersbrug

↓ Importing 568 MW

1.0 GW max capacity · 57% utilised

Viking (Denmark)

Bicker Fen to Revsing · opened 2023

↓ Importing 654 MW

1.4 GW max capacity · 47% utilised

NSL (Norway)

Blyth to Kvilldal · Norwegian hydro

↓ Importing 0 MW

1.4 GW max capacity · 0% utilised

Moyle (N. Ireland)

Auchencrosh to Ballycronan More

↑ Exporting 402 MW

500 MW max capacity · 80% utilised

East-West (Ireland)

Rush, Co. Dublin to Deeside, Wales

↑ Exporting 198 MW

500 MW max capacity · 40% utilised

Greenlink (Ireland)

Pembrokeshire to Wexford · opened 2024

↑ Exporting 314 MW

700 MW max capacity · 45% utilised

🔵 Importing into GB · 🟠 Exporting from GB — real, directly-metered flow per link from Elexon (generation/outturn/interconnectors), updated each settlement period (~every 30 min). "Imports % of grid" above is a separate live figure from the Carbon Intensity API's blended generation mix, kept here as a rough cross-check against the per-link total.

Ofgem price cap — Q3 2026

Annual cap (typical household)

£1,862

1 Jul – 30 Sep 2026 · up 13% from Q2

Electricity unit rate

26.11p/kWh

Standing charge: 57.19p/day

Gas unit rate

7.33p/kWh

Standing charge: 29.04p/day

Q4 announcement in

1 days

26 Aug 2026 · covers Oct–Dec 2026

Cap expires in

36 days

30 Sep 2026

Q4 forecast direction

▲ Higher

Middle East tensions still pushing wholesale up

Ofgem sets the cap quarterly · next review 26 Aug · new cap starts 1 Oct 2026 · applies to standard variable tariffs only · update unit rates each quarter in the PHP.

Grid-scale battery storage — BESS

Trading / mixed

System price £109/MWh — mid-range, dispatch varies by site strategy

6.9 GW

12,900 MWh total · end 2025

System price now

£109/MWh

Live · Elexon settlement price · 00:00

Operational capacity

12,900 MWh

+45% growth in 2025

Power output

6.9 GW

Instantaneous discharge capacity

Response time

<1 second

vs 16 sec for Dinorwig pumped storage

Needed by 2030

23–27 GW

Clean Power 2030 target · vs 6.9 GW today

Minety

Wiltshire

Power150 MW

Storage150 MWh

OwnerShell Energy / China Huaneng

Li-ion

Pillswood

East Yorkshire

Power98 MW

Storage196 MWh

OwnerHarmony Energy

Tesla Megapack

Capenhurst

Cheshire

Power100 MW

Storage100 MWh

OwnerGresham House

Li-ion

Gateway Energy Centre

Essex

Power450 MW

Storage900 MWh

OwnerAmp Energy

Li-ion

Kincardine

Aberdeenshire

Power400 MW

Storage800 MWh

OwnerAmp Energy

Li-ion

Trafford (planned)

Manchester

Power1040 MW

Storage2080 MWh

OwnerCarlton Power

Li-ion planned

Pembroke (planned)

South Wales

Power350 MW

Storage700 MWh

OwnerRWE

Li-ion planned

UK operational BESS: 12.9 GWh / 6.9 GW as of end 2025 · Source: Energy Storage News · 2030 target from Elexon (Jun 2026) · Charging/discharging status inferred from the live GB system price (Elexon settlement price, updated each settlement period) — individual battery sites are metered BM Units but aren't exposed as a public per-site live feed, so this is a fleet-wide read rather than "Minety is charging right now."

Pumped storage — the grid's gravity battery

Standby / mixed

System price £109/MWh — mid-range, status varies by site and reservoir level

2.83 GW

total UK capacity · 24.3 GWh storage

Dinorwig

Snowdonia, Wales · Built 1984

Max output1.73 GW

Storage9.1 GWh

Response time16 seconds

💧 Built to handle the TV pickup — can power 1.7m homes instantly

Cruachan

Argyll, Scotland · Built 1965

Max output0.44 GW

Storage7.1 GWh

Response time30 seconds

💧 Known as "the hollow mountain" — open for public tours

Ffestiniog

Snowdonia, Wales · Built 1963

Max output0.36 GW

Storage1.8 GWh

Response time60 seconds

💧 Oldest pumped storage in the UK — still going strong

Foyers

Inverness-shire, Scotland · Built 1975

Max output0.3 GW

Storage6.3 GWh

Response time60 seconds

💧 Originally built to power an aluminium smelter

System price now

£109/MWh

Live · Elexon settlement price · 00:00

Total capacity

2.83 GW

All 4 operational sites

Total storage

24.3 GWh

Combined reservoir capacity

Fastest response

16 seconds

Dinorwig — standby to full power

Pipeline capacity

2.55 GW

New projects consented/planned

New pumped storage — in the pipeline

Coire Glas

Consented — awaiting FID

Capacity1.5 GW

Storage30 GWh

OwnerSSE Renewables

Would be UK's largest ever pumped storage — 1.5 GW for 20 hours

Red John

Consented 2024

Capacity0.45 GW

Storage10.8 GWh

OwnerStatera Energy

Near Loch Ness — upper reservoir on hillside above loch

Loch na Cathrach

In development

Capacity0.6 GW

Storage12 GWh

OwnerDrax Group

Near existing Cruachan site — benefits from existing grid connection

Charging/discharging status inferred from the live GB system price (same signal used for battery storage above) — not directly metered per site. Pumped storage counted within hydro % in Carbon Intensity API. Efficiency ~75-80%.

Gas demand breakdown & wholesale prices

Gas — wholesale

99.9p/therm

Day: ▲ +3.5% · Week: ▲ +9.5%

Gas — wholesale per kWh

3.41p/kWh

vs 7.33p retail (Ofgem cap)

Power — wholesale

86£/MWh

Day: ▲ +1.9% · Week: ▲ +6.3%

Power — wholesale per kWh

8.58p/kWh

vs 26.11p retail (Ofgem cap)

Gas 30-day trend

▲ +5.6%

NBP day-ahead · 19 Aug 2026

Gas markup

2.1×

retail vs wholesale multiple

Wholesale: Sum-27 forward contract · update daily from smart-energy.uk · Retail: Ofgem Q3 2026 cap · 1 therm = 29.31 kWh · markup covers transmission, distribution, supplier margin, green levies & VAT

Power generation

118 mcm

38% of total demand

Domestic heating

89 mcm

29% of total demand

Industrial

62 mcm

20% of total demand

Exports

25 mcm

8% of total demand

Other

18 mcm

6% of total demand

Gas supply sources

mcm = million cubic metres — the standard industry unit for gas volumes, roughly 11 GWh of energy per mcm.

North Sea (UK)

142 mcm

46% of supply

Norway (Langeled)

87 mcm

28% of supply

LNG terminals

54 mcm

17% of supply

Belgian interconnect

29 mcm

9% of supply

Total gas demand: 312 mcm/day (~3,432 GWh/day) · modelled from National Grid NTS published data · representative of a typical day.

Generation sites by type

Wind Solar Nuclear Hydro ⚡ Wind 2026+ ☀️ Solar pipeline

Sofia offshore

North Sea (Teesside)

Capacity1.4 GW

ExpectedPhased commissioning — live now

OwnerRWE Renewables

100 × Siemens Gamesa 14MW turbines fully installed (Jun 2026) · connecting to HVDC system in phases · full 1.4GW targeted by end 2026 · powers ~1.2m homes

Culzean floating offshore

Firth of Clyde, Scotland

Capacity0.003 GW

ExpectedSummer 2026

OwnerTotalEnergies

Single 3MW floating pilot turbine · powers ~20% of the Culzean gas platform's own load, not exported to the public grid · first new UK floating wind since Kincardine (2021)

Hornsea 3 offshore

North Sea (Yorkshire)

Capacity2.85 GW

ExpectedUnder construction — 2027

OwnerØrsted

2.85 GW when complete · first export cable connected to shore Mar 2026 · Will be world's largest single wind farm · 231 turbines

Morecambe offshore

Irish Sea

Capacity0.9 GW

ExpectedConsented — 2027/28

OwnerMorecambe Offshore Wind

Consented 2025 · Irish Sea location benefits from strong consistent winds

Pipeline projects subject to construction timelines, grid connection availability and final investment decisions. Solar capacity factor ~11% UK annual average · peak sunny day ~60-70% of rated.