ClimatePolitics

Revealed: Expensive gas behind ‘nearly 90%’ of rise in UK electricity bills

Read full article at source ↗

Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 21/10/2026, 13:35:24 UTC.

Briefings

A 2026 analysis by Nesta reveals that expensive UK gas prices account for nearly 90% of the rise in household electricity bills since 2020, contradicting net-zero narratives. Typical annual bills rose £180 by Q4 2026, with £161 (81%) due to wholesale gas costs. While renewable CfDs reduced bills by £17, network costs added £72, and government policies contributed £183. Gas bills rose £368 in real terms, with 77% driven by gas costs.

Key points

• Wholesale gas costs are responsible for 90% of the increase in UK household electricity bills since 2020.
• Wholesale gas costs account for 81% of the real-terms rise in typical annual household electricity bills.

Context

UK household electricity bills rose £180 by Q4 2026 compared to 2020. Gas prices peaked at 220p/therm in Oct 2026, the highest since Russia's 2022 invasion. Net-zero is helping shelter Britain from expensive gas impacts, as gas bills rose 47% while electricity bills rose 47% in real terms.

Limitations

Data covers Oct 2020 to Oct 2026. Wholesale gas prices are at their highest since Russia's 2022 invasion. Precise breakdown of supplier operating cost increases is unavailable in underlying Ofgem figures.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 21/10/2026, 13:39:25 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeihj3vkse57ohlp67elrufs2k7ljzzlkfypn6vfxa5mmisonogd4b4