New polling shows 71% of Scots want North Sea oil and gas to meet energy demand as UK reliance on overseas imports hits its highest level since 2014.
The survey from advisory firm True North comes as the UK Government reveals nearly £20billion of oil and gas was imported from Norway over 2023/24, and latest annual stats show Britain’s overall energy demand now relies 40% on imports as domestic production falls, the highest in more than a decade.
Most respondents of the polling, carried out by Survation, would rather see energy needs met from domestically produced oil and gas, the Scotland-wide study found, as voters take stock of Labour’s opening months in government and look ahead to the 2026 Holyrood elections.
UK oil production is now at an all-time low, while gas, which has met more than half of domestic needs for the last decade, is at near-record lows as the windfall tax has damaged investment, reduced production and cost jobs.
Less than a quarter (24%) of respondents said the windfall tax is achieving its aim of reducing household bills, and only 26% say it has been effective in encouraging energy firms to move towards renewables.
The production drop comes as the UK relies on the United States for its largest share of oil imports, while gas is piped from Norway and imported as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US, Qatar and Peru at nearly four-times the carbon footprint of domestic product.
It comes as the newly inaugurated President Trump this week signed an executive order removing a halt on US LNG export permits, paving the way for more of the fuel to reach the global market.
Despite the UK’s production decline, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) estimates the sector still has untapped proven reserves totalling 3.3billion barrels of oil equivalent – and nearly double that again in discovered and untested resources.
However, their recovery is stifled by the UK Labour government’s ban on further licensing, windfall tax pressures, and ongoing uncertainty around future of offshore regulations following a Supreme Court ruling on Scope 3 emissions in June, with potential implications for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields.
The data also covers sentiment towards the government’s tentpole policy of achieving Clean Power by 2030, with respondents voicing uncertainty.
Just over a third (35%) think the target, to deliver 95% of power via clean sources within five years, is achievable. By comparison, renewable electricity generation accounted for 46% of power generation in 2023.
However, more than half (53%) of respondents say they back the clean power goal and 60% said they would support construction of new transmission infrastructure, such as pylons, to support it.
True North senior energy advisor, Allister Thomas, said: “A shift away from oil and gas is inevitable – and crucial – but failing to carry out a managed transition risks seeing the UK importing more at a higher carbon footprint, while losing jobs and harming investment.
True North senior energy advisor, Allister Thomas.
“As this polling suggests, it makes more sense to ramp up renewables while also pursuing policies to harness the UK’s oil and gas resources as they continue to play a crucial role in our energy mix, protecting jobs and mitigating imports in the meantime.
“Labour will be pleased to see strong backing for its Clean Power 2030 ambition and build-out of infrastructure such as new pylons.
“However, there’s considerable scepticism around whether that herculean task can be achieved within a short timeframe. Recent blackout concerns due to our reliance on weather-based generation show just how far there is to go.”
Russell Borthwick, CEO of the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “A common sense approach to energy policy has been sorely lacking when it comes to our oil and gas resources and the vital energy supply chains which sustain them.
Russell Borthwick, CEO of the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
“To deliver a managed transition we should ensure these national assets are protected, starting with the removal of the punitive windfall tax which continues to have a chilling effect on investment.
“Clean Power 2030 holds promise for North-east Scotland, at the heart of one of the world’s largest offshore wind markets, but we must be realistic about the major challenges we face.
"Huge ramp up of grid connection and transmission networks, cutting of planning and consent red tape, and delivery of a strong pipeline of projects are among the hurdles we must overcome to realise success.”