Can Britain simply import the energy it needs?

Britain can import energy, but greater reliance on overseas supplies comes with economic, environmental and security costs.

The UK already imports 43.5% of all the energy it uses. ONS trade figures show Britain imported over £60 billion of fuels in 2025, including £23.0 billion of refined oil, £20.2 billion of crude oil and £15.6 billion of gas.

If demand remains high as domestic production declines, more UK spending will go towards buying energy produced overseas making Britain more exposed to global prices, conflicts, sanctions and disruptions to pipelines and shipping routes.

Norway is a vital and reliable supplier, but it cannot fill every future gap. Equinor has said it has no spare oil and gas capacity, with production already near capacity. As UK production declines, Britain is likely to rely more heavily on LNG bought and shipped through global markets.

Those imports can also carry a higher carbon footprint. The NSTA estimates that, before combustion, imported LNG creates around three times the production-and-supply-chain emissions of UK-produced gas.

Domestic production, however, will reduce the amount Britain must buy overseas while retaining more jobs, investment and tax revenue at home.