The UK gets most of its gas from three places: domestic North Sea production, pipeline gas from Norway and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped in from overseas.
- Does the UK get gas from Russia?
- How much gas does the UK get from Iran?
- Why do UK gas prices rise if the UK does not buy much from Russia or Iran?
- What about UK Oil Imports?
- Where does the UK get its petrol from?
- Why doesn't the UK just drill more gas and oil from the North Sea?
- How Much Gas Does the UK Use Every Year?
- What does the UK use all this gas for?
- If we don’t buy Russian gas, why did 2022–2026 still hit UK prices?
- Want to Use Less Gas? Start with the Upgrades That Make the Biggest Difference
Norway remains by far the UK’s biggest external gas supplier, while the United States now dominates UK LNG imports.
And despite frequent headlines about Russia and Iran, neither country is currently a meaningful direct supplier of gas to the UK.
So why can events in Russia, Iran or the wider Middle East still send UK energy prices higher?
Because while the UK’s physical gas supply is relatively diversified, the price we pay is still heavily influenced by international energy markets.
Quick answer: where does the UK get its gas from?
The UK gets gas from:
UK production, predominantly from the UK Continental Shelf in the North Sea
pipeline imports, overwhelmingly from Norway
LNG imports, shipped into UK terminals from countries including the United States, Qatar, Algeria and Trinidad and Tobago
much smaller quantities through pipelines connecting Britain with continental Europe
The latest full-year government figures are now for 2025.
In 2025:
Norway supplied 69% of all UK gas imports
Norway accounted for around 40% of total UK gross gas supply
US LNG represented 23% of all UK gas imports
the US supplied 76% of UK LNG imports
Qatar supplied just 1.8% of imports, equivalent to roughly 1% of total UK gas supply
UK natural gas production fell another 3.4%, reaching its lowest level since 1973.
That makes Norway the UK's dominant external supplier by a considerable margin.
A quick note on the latest data
The latest complete annual figures are now contained in DUKES 2026, published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 30 July 2026. These cover the full 2025 calendar year.
That's preferable to mixing provisional 2025 data with the older audited 2024 figures.
Monthly and quarterly Energy Trends data is published more frequently, but for annual comparisons we've primarily used the latest DUKES figures.
Where does the UK get its gas from?
The UK still produces a substantial amount of natural gas itself, but it has been a net importer of gas since 2004.
And domestic production is declining.
UK natural gas production fell by 3.4% in 2025 and remains at its lowest level since 1973. DESNZ says this primarily reflects the long-term depletion of mature North Sea fields.
Imports therefore play an increasingly important role.
Norway is still the UK's biggest gas supplier
Norway accounted for 69% of all UK gas imports in 2025, down from 76% in 2024.
Almost all UK pipeline gas imports came from Norway, which supplied 98% of pipeline imports during the year.
That made Norwegian gas equivalent to around 40% of the UK's total gross gas supply.
If the image is used, please attribute it by linking to: heatable.co.uk
LNG is becoming more important again
UK LNG imports increased by 24% in 2025, while pipeline imports fell by 4.6%.
The big story here was the United States.
US LNG imports rose by 38% year-on-year, making up:
76% of all UK LNG imports
23% of all UK gas imports
around 13% of total UK gross gas supply.
The UK imported LNG from 11 countries during 2025, including the US, Qatar, Algeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, Norway, Angola, Peru, Equatorial Guinea, Brazil and Mexico.
Does the UK get gas from Russia?
No, not currently.
The UK has not imported Russian gas since March 2022.
Russian LNG had only ever represented a relatively small part of Britain's supply mix. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia supplied around 6% of UK LNG imports in 2021.
But the direct flow stopped in 2022.
So if you see current UK energy prices blamed on Russian gas, it's important to make the distinction:
The UK isn't buying Russian gas, but disruption to Russian supply elsewhere can still affect the international gas market in which the UK trades.
How much gas does the UK get from Iran?
Effectively none directly.
Iran does not appear as a material UK gas supplier in the latest official import statistics.
The UK government's March 2026 energy-security briefing also confirmed that even Qatar, one of the Gulf's major LNG exporters, accounted for only around 1% of UK gas supply in 2025.
Qatari LNG imports have actually fallen significantly from their historic highs. Qatar accounted for around 40% of UK LNG imports at its peak in 2011, but only 6% of LNG imports in 2025.
So Britain's direct exposure to Iranian gas is negligible.
Its exposure to events involving Iran is mainly indirect, through oil and LNG markets, shipping routes and global risk pricing.
Why do UK gas prices rise if the UK does not buy much from Russia or Iran?
Because where the gas physically comes from and what sets its price are two different questions.
Britain is connected to European and global gas markets.
If a major producer cuts supply, an LNG facility goes offline or an important shipping route becomes risky, buyers elsewhere start competing harder for the same available gas.
That can cause:
LNG cargoes to be redirected
European wholesale prices to rise
traders to price in future supply risks
UK suppliers to face higher replacement costs
The UK is particularly exposed because it is a net importer and increasingly depends on internationally traded gas as North Sea production declines.
So even if the molecules entering a British home originally came from Norway, their market value is influenced by what buyers elsewhere are willing to pay for alternative supplies.
What about UK Oil Imports?
Oil is a slightly different story.
The UK both produces and imports crude oil, while also exporting a large proportion of domestically produced crude.
This can sound counter-intuitive, but different refineries are designed to process different grades of crude oil.
Government analysis says nearly 90% of UK-produced crude is exported, while UK refineries import other grades, particularly from the United States and Norway.
UK crude oil imports fell significantly in 2025, decreasing by around 17%. At the same time, North Sea production remains on a long-term declining trend.
The United States and Norway remain two of the UK's most important sources of imported crude oil. In Q4 2025 they jointly supplied around 49% of UK crude and natural gas liquid imports.
Where does the UK get its petrol from?
Petrol is different from crude oil. Crude oil is the raw material; petrol is a refined fuel made from it.
The UK is not heavily dependent on imported petrol.
In fact, the latest official figures show the UK produced more petrol than it used in 2024, making it a net exporter of petrol.
That does not mean the UK is insulated from global oil prices.
Petrol prices at the pump are still influenced by the global crude oil price, refinery costs, exchange rates, shipping disruption, taxes and wider market sentiment.
So the simple answer is - the UK mostly makes enough petrol for its own needs, but petrol prices can still rise when global oil markets are disrupted.
Related: where does the UK get its petrol from?
Why doesn't the UK just drill more gas and oil from the North Sea?
Because “just drill more” is not a tap you turn on.
Here’s what actually blocks the fantasy version:
Time: new projects take years
Decline rates: mature basins naturally decline without constant investment
Market reality: UK-produced oil and gas is sold into global markets - it doesn’t automatically mean cheap “UK-only” energy
Policy and climate commitments: new licensing and investment decisions exist inside a political and regulatory framework
Energy Help Guides:
How Much Gas Does the UK Use Every Year?
According to the government’s DUKES natural gas commodity balance (Table 4.1), total UK gas demand in 2024 was:
688.6 TWh (that’s 688,624 GWh)
That was down about 2.3% from 2023 (about 704.6 TWh), and it took UK gas demand to the lowest level since 1992.
What does the UK use all this gas for?
Heating homes (still the big one)
Most UK homes still rely on gas for heating.
In England in 2023–24, around 21.2 million households (86%) used gas-fired main heating.
Electricity generation (still important, but not “half” anymore)
In 2024:
Low-carbon sources (renewables + nuclear) produced 64.7% of UK electricity generation
And NESO’s 2025 review adds useful context:
In 2025, wind was the largest source and gas provided 26.8% of electricity generation.
If we don’t buy Russian gas, why did 2022–2026 still hit UK prices?
Because gas is priced in a global market.
When a major supplier is disrupted (or sanctioned), everyone competes for the remaining supply:
LNG cargoes get diverted
Prices rise across regions
The UK feels it through wholesale markets, even if the UK isn’t buying directly from the disrupted source
So the UK’s exposure is less “we buy from Russia” and more “the global price moves, and we’re part of that market.”
Recommended reading:
Want to Use Less Gas? Start with the Upgrades That Make the Biggest Difference
The UK may still rely heavily on gas, but many households are now looking at ways to reduce that dependence through cleaner, more efficient home energy systems.
Upgrades like heat pumps, solar panels, battery storage and insulation can help lower energy waste, reduce carbon emissions and make households less exposed to swings in global gas prices.
If you’re thinking about making your home more efficient, explore Heatable’s guides on:
The more of your home’s energy demand you can cut or replace with low-carbon alternatives, the less dependent you are on an unpredictable fossil fuel market.
