With UK electricity demand rising in new places, the contrast is sharp: demand side response hits 5 GW in 2023 while data centres landed at 12 TWh in 2022 against a projected 17 TWh. Even prices pull households and businesses into the same conversation, with average wholesale prices at £250/MWh in 2022 and dual fuel bills averaging £2,500 a year in 2023. This set of Uk electrical industry statistics shows where power is going, who is buying it, and how fast the workforce and grid are being asked to keep up.
Key Takeaways
- Domestic electricity consumption averaged 3,200 kWh per household in 2022
- Total final electricity consumption 122 TWh domestic sector 2022
- Industrial electricity use 78 TWh in 2022, down 5% YoY
- UK electrical industry employed 650,000 people directly in 2022
- Electrical contractors numbered 42,500 firms employing 220,000 workers in 2023
- 15% of UK electrical workforce aged under 25 in 2022
- UK electricity generation totalled 317 TWh in 2022
- Renewables share of electricity generation reached 41.5% in 2022
- Onshore wind generated 36.7 TWh, 11.6% of total in 2022
- UK grid investment totalled £8.2 billion in 2022
- Substation projects 150 new/upgrade sites 2023
- Overhead line replacements 1,200 km in 2022
- The UK electrical industry generated a total turnover of £38.5 billion in 2022, representing 1.8% of UK GDP
- Electrical equipment manufacturing sub-sector contributed £12.4 billion to UK GVA in 2021
- Wholesale of electrical equipment sector grew by 4.2% YoY in 2023 Q1, reaching £6.7 billion
In 2022, UK electricity demand totalled 310 TWh, while smart meters and grid upgrades advanced faster.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumption and Demand26 stats
01
Domestic electricity consumption averaged 3,200 kWh per household in 2022
02
Total final electricity consumption 122 TWh domestic sector 2022
03
Industrial electricity use 78 TWh in 2022, down 5% YoY
04
Commercial/services sector consumed 92 TWh electricity 2022
05
Transport electricity demand 1.2 TWh from EVs in 2022
06
Peak demand 53.5 GW winter 2022/23
07
Average wholesale price £250/MWh in 2022
08
Domestic dual fuel bills averaged £2,500/year in 2023
09
Non-domestic max demand tariffs cover 70 GW capacity
10
Heat pumps electricity use added 2.5 TWh demand 2022
11
Data centres electricity consumption 17 TWh projected 2025 but 12 TWh 2022
12
Electricity intensity per GDP fell 2.1% in 2022
13
Smart meter rollout 32 million electricity meters by 2023
14
Demand side response capacity 5 GW in 2023
15
Average household consumption down 9% to 2,900 kWh 2023
16
Steel industry electricity use 12 TWh 2022
17
Supermarkets refrigeration 15 TWh annually
18
EV fleet electricity 0.8 TWh public charging 2022
19
Ventilation fans in buildings 8 TWh 2022
20
Lighting consumption total 40 TWh across sectors 2022
21
Chemical sector electricity 18 TWh 2022
22
Remote working reduced office demand 4 TWh 2022
23
Hourly peak pricing trials saved 10% peak demand
24
Food/beverage industry 14 TWh electricity 2022
25
Hospitals/NHS electricity 10 TWh 2022
26
Cement production electricity 5 TWh 2022
Interpretation
Consumption and Demand Interpretation
While households tightened their belts by 9%, data centers and heat pumps quietly began plugging in their own extensions to the national grid, proving that our electricity story is becoming less about the traditional kettle and more about the server and the heat pump.
02 · Category
Employment and Skills29 stats
01
UK electrical industry employed 650,000 people directly in 2022
02
Electrical contractors numbered 42,500 firms employing 220,000 workers in 2023
03
15% of UK electrical workforce aged under 25 in 2022
04
Average salary for UK electricians £38,500 in 2023
05
28,000 electrical apprenticeships started in 2022/23
06
12% gender diversity in electrical installation workforce in 2023
07
Shortage of 25,000 skilled electricians reported in 2023
08
65% of electrical firms reported recruitment difficulties in 2022
09
Electrical engineers numbered 45,000 in UK in 2021
10
Training spend by electrical firms averaged £2,500 per employee in 2022
11
18% growth in electrical technician jobs 2018-2023
12
Over 50,000 NICEIC registered electricians in 2023
13
Electrical manufacturing employed 85,000 in 2022
14
7,200 electrical engineering graduates annually in 2022
15
32% of workforce hold NVQ Level 3 or above in electrotechnical trades
16
Labour turnover rate in electrical contracting 14% in 2023
17
4,500 new ELECSA certifications issued monthly average 2023
18
Female electricians increased 22% from 2018-2023 to 12,000
19
Self-employed electricians comprise 55% of workforce, 120,000 in 2022
20
Regional employment highest in London/South East at 180,000 jobs
21
Average hours worked by electricians 42.3 per week in 2023
22
9,800 electrical NVQ Level 2 completions in 2022/23
23
Zero-hour contracts in electrical sector 3.2% of workforce
24
Overseas workers 8% of electrical industry in 2023
25
Upskilling in EV charging for 35% of electricians in 2023
26
Electrical wholesalers employed 45,000 in 2022
27
Youth unemployment in electrical trades 4.1% vs national 12%
28
2,300 electrical HND/HNC awards in 2022
29
Firm size: 78% sole traders/micro firms in contracting
Interpretation
Employment and Skills Interpretation
While boasting nearly half a million sparkies, the UK electrical industry is ironically short-circuiting, with a glaring talent gap, an ageing workforce, and a serious lack of gender diversity, all while trying to power the future on a frayed and fraying cable of recruitment.
03 · Category
Generation and Sources25 stats
01
UK electricity generation totalled 317 TWh in 2022
02
Renewables share of electricity generation reached 41.5% in 2022
03
Onshore wind generated 36.7 TWh, 11.6% of total in 2022
04
Offshore wind capacity 13.9 GW at end 2022
05
Solar PV generation 13.8 TWh in 2022, up 17%
06
Gas-fired generation 129 TWh, 40.6% share in 2022
07
Nuclear output 70.5 TWh in 2022
08
Biomass generation 11.2 TWh in 2022
09
Hydro generation 5.1 TWh, 1.6% of total 2022
10
Total installed capacity 82.5 GW end 2022
11
Interconnector imports 23.4 TWh net in 2022
12
Coal generation minimal 0.04 TWh in 2022
13
Pumped storage output 2.6 TWh in 2022
14
New renewable capacity added 2.2 GW in 2022
15
CCGT capacity 30.1 GW operational 2022
16
Wind total generation 79.9 TWh, 25% share 2022
17
Floating offshore wind pilots 30 MW in 2023
18
Energy from waste electrical generation 4.8 TWh 2022
19
Total low-carbon generation 182 TWh, 57% in 2022
20
Scotland wind generation 30.2 TWh in 2022
21
Battery storage capacity reached 3.1 GW end 2022
22
UK geothermal electricity pilot 0.02 TWh 2022
23
OCGT generation 1.1 TWh peaking in 2022
24
Marine energy generation negligible 0.001 TWh 2022
25
Total electricity supplied 310 TWh to public in 2022
Interpretation
Generation and Sources Interpretation
Even as renewables now provide a surprisingly respectable 41.5% of our power, that stubborn 40.6% slice from gas-fired generation reminds us we're still in a race against time, not just the elements.
More related reading
04 · Category
Infrastructure and Investment25 stats
01
UK grid investment totalled £8.2 billion in 2022
02
Substation projects 150 new/upgrade sites 2023
03
Overhead line replacements 1,200 km in 2022
04
HVDC interconnectors 8 GW capacity 2023
05
Smart grid tech investment £1.5 billion 2022
06
Underground cabling 500 km laid 2022
07
Battery storage projects 50 operational 3 GW 2023
08
Offshore grid connections 20 GW planned by 2030
09
Distribution network operators capex £5.4 billion 2022
10
Transformer manufacturing ramp-up 20% capacity increase 2023
11
EV charger installations 50,000 public points 2023
12
Grid reinforcement for net zero £20-30 billion needed by 2030
13
Digital substations 100 deployed by 2025 target
14
Fibre optic for grid comms 10,000 km 2022
15
Active network management systems 15 DNOs using 2023
16
Offshore wind farm grid connections 14 GW operational 2023
17
Voltage control devices 5,000 installed 2022
18
RIIO-2 transmission investment £7.9 billion allowed 2021-2026
19
Microgrid pilots 20 projects funded £100 million 2023
20
Fault levels managed across 400 GW grid 2023
21
Cable fault repairs average 24 hours response 2022
22
Supergrid transformers 350 units total 2023
23
Demand flexibility service procured 1.3 GW response 2023
24
HV substation automation 85% coverage 2023
25
Interconnector projects under construction 5 GW 2023
Interpretation
Infrastructure and Investment Interpretation
The UK is painstakingly rewiring the nation for a green future, one careful, costly, and critical project at a time.
05 · Category
Market Size and Economic Impact30 stats
01
The UK electrical industry generated a total turnover of £38.5 billion in 2022, representing 1.8% of UK GDP
02
Electrical equipment manufacturing sub-sector contributed £12.4 billion to UK GVA in 2021
03
Wholesale of electrical equipment sector grew by 4.2% YoY in 2023 Q1, reaching £6.7 billion
04
UK electrical contracting market size reached £17.2 billion in 2022
05
Exports from UK electrical industry totalled £9.8 billion in 2022, up 3.1% from 2021
06
Installation and maintenance services accounted for 45% of electrical industry revenue at £17.3 billion in 2022
07
Renewable energy equipment sales within electrical sector hit £4.5 billion in 2023
08
Electrical goods retail sector turnover was £5.6 billion in 2022
09
UK lighting equipment market valued at £2.1 billion in 2023, growing 5.8%
10
Cable and wiring market in UK electrical industry worth £3.4 billion in 2022
11
Switchgear and controlgear sector revenue £1.9 billion in 2021
12
UK electrical testing and inspection services market £1.2 billion in 2023
13
Power distribution equipment imports totalled £7.3 billion in 2022
14
Domestic electrical appliances market £8.9 billion in 2022
15
Industrial electrical equipment sales £4.7 billion in 2023 Q2
16
UK electrical services export value £2.4 billion in 2022
17
Smart home electrical devices market £1.5 billion in 2023
18
Electrical installation firms' average turnover £450,000 in 2022
19
UK electrical R&D spend £1.1 billion in 2022
20
EV charging infrastructure equipment market £900 million in 2023
21
Electrical repair services sector £650 million in 2022
22
UK wire and cable manufacturing output £2.8 billion in 2021
23
Electrical wholesalers turnover £11.2 billion in 2023
24
Building services electrical sub-sector £6.3 billion in 2022
25
UK solar PV electrical components market £1.8 billion in 2023
26
Data centre electrical fit-out market £2.2 billion in 2022
27
Electrical safety equipment sales £750 million in 2023
28
UK wind turbine electrical systems £3.1 billion in 2022
29
Commercial electrical contracting £4.9 billion in 2023
30
Electrical engineering consultancy fees £1.4 billion in 2022
Interpretation
Market Size and Economic Impact Interpretation
While the UK electrical industry might appear from these figures to be a web of lucrative complexity, its enduring truth is that it fundamentally runs on the simple, serious business of keeping the lights on—and increasingly, on turning them green.
Reference
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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Uk Electrical Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-electrical-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Uk Electrical Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uk-electrical-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Uk Electrical Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-electrical-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level