If you’ve seen headlines about Russia, Iran or global gas prices, you’ve probably asked the same questions: Where does the UK actually get its gas from?
- Quick answer: where does the UK get its gas from?
- 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?
- 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
Did Russia ever supply much to the UK, and does it now?
How much gas does the UK get from Iran?
Why do UK gas prices rise even when the UK barely buys from those countries?
Here’s the simple answer: the UK gets gas from three main sources - domestic production, pipeline imports and LNG imports.
In practice, Norway is by far the biggest external supplier, while the UK also still produces a large share of the gas it uses from the North Sea.
Quick answer: where does the UK get its gas from?
The UK gets its gas from:
UK production, mainly from the UK Continental Shelf in the North Sea;
pipeline imports, mostly from Norway;
liquefied natural gas, or LNG, shipped in by tanker, mainly from the United States and other global suppliers.
In 2024, domestic production supplied about 50% of UK gas demand, with the remaining half met by imports.
Norway supplied 76% of UK gas imports in 2024, and LNG accounted for 25% of imports. Of that LNG, 68% came from the United States, 8% from Qatar and 7% from Trinidad and Tobago.
For 2025, provisional and operational data shows Norway remained dominant. NESO said 79% of gas supply in 2025 came from UK and Norwegian gas fields combined, while LNG provided 14% and storage withdrawal 7%.
First, a quick note on dates
Energy data is always published with a lag, so it helps to be precise.
The latest fully audited annual government figures are for 2024, published in UK Energy in Brief 2025 and the 2025 edition of DUKES on 31 July 2025.
The latest provisional government updates are in the Energy Trends and Prices release published on 26 February 2026, which includes data up to December 2025.
NESO’s 2025 review is useful for operational context, especially for electricity generation, but it is not a replacement for the annual DESNZ statistical tables.
Where does the UK get its gas from?
The UK still produces a substantial amount of its own natural gas, but it is not self-sufficient.
In 2024, around half of UK gas demand was met by domestic production and the other half by imports. That means the UK depends on both North Sea output and international supply routes.
Among imports, Norway is the clear heavyweight. In 2024, Norway supplied 76% of UK gas imports, up sharply from 58% in 2023.
That jump partly reflected the fact that pipelines with Belgium and the Netherlands were used to export rather than import for much of the year.
LNG remains the other major import channel. In 2024, LNG made up 25% of UK gas imports, with the US by far the largest LNG source. Qatar was still in the mix, but much smaller than the US.
In the infographic below we provide a complete breakdown of the latest official figures on UK gas and oil imports.
If the image is used, please attribute it by linking to: heatable.co.uk
Does the UK get gas from Russia?
Not anymore.
The UK has not imported gas from Russia since March 2022.
The government marked a full year without Russian gas imports in May 2023, and later official publications confirmed that March 2022 was the last month of Russian gas imports to the UK.
That matters because a lot of older content still implies Russia is part of the UK’s normal gas mix. It isn’t.
Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russian LNG made up a small share of UK LNG imports - 6% in 2021, according to DESNZ - but that flow stopped in 2022.
How much gas does the UK get from Iran?
Directly, effectively none in the standard UK gas supply mix.
Recent UK government messaging on the Middle East states that the UK imports some LNG from the Gulf, but specifically says only about 1% of the UK’s gas supply in 2025 came from Qatar. It does not identify Iran as a meaningful source of UK gas supply.
That distinction matters.
People often ask about Iran because tensions in the Middle East can move energy prices, but that does not mean the UK is physically importing significant volumes of gas from Iran.
The UK’s exposure is mainly through global price effects and shipping risk, not because Iran is a major direct supplier to Britain.
Why do UK gas prices rise if the UK does not buy much from Russia or Iran?
Because the UK buys gas in a global market.
Even if the UK is not directly importing gas from Russia, or buying meaningful amounts from Iran, global disruptions still matter.
When major producers or major shipping routes are disrupted, the world competes harder for the remaining supply.
LNG cargoes get redirected, traders price in risk, and wholesale gas prices rise across Europe and beyond. The UK then feels that through market pricing.
That is why UK energy bills can jump even when the physical molecules coming into the UK mostly come from Norway, the North Sea and LNG cargoes from friendly suppliers.
The supply chain is diversified, but the pricing system is still internationally exposed.
What about UK Oil Imports?
Oil and gas often get lumped together, but they behave differently.
For crude oil, the latest annual official stats (2024) show:
The US was the UK’s largest source of crude oil imports in 2024 (~16 million tonnes, over a third)
Norway was second (~13 million tonnes, ~31%)
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.
