Smart Energy Insights
Energy Insights
Thomas McGlynn • 1 October 2026

UK Monthly Energy Market Report: September 2026

SMART ENERGY
Monthly Energy Briefing · UK
Month of September 2026
Latest settlement: 29 September 2026
Monthly review · September 2026

The month in review: gas firmed 23.3%, power firmed 20.3%

A week-by-week recap of how UK gas and electricity moved across September 2026, and where that leaves businesses approaching renewal.

This month vs last Both firmer on the month
Bigger picture Still high over the six months held
Key risk Us-iran military escalation
The month in review

How the month actually moved

Not one day's snapshot — the whole month, week by week. Each point is the front-month's average for that week, so you see the shape of the month, not just where it ended.

Month of September 2026
Natural gas
The month in weeks · p/therm
↑ 23.30%
vs last month
176.41 178.91 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5
rose early, eased into month-end · +1.4% across the month
Month avg 186.76 Month low 164.82 Month high 205.19
low 96.52 Month close · today ● 205.19 high
Electricity
The month in weeks · £/MWh
↑ 20.25%
vs last month
137.62 142.87 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5
rose early, held into month-end · +3.8% across the month
Month avg 145.57 Month low 129.38 Month high 158.00
low 82.28 Month close · today ● 158.00 high
What matters

One month rarely changes a renewal decision

The shape: a month that fell then bounced tells you more than the net number.
Wider view: the 6-month charts below show whether this month is part of a longer trend.
For buyers: a good month doesn't reset your deadline — your contract end date still drives urgency.
Biggest move of the month Win-27 gas ↑ 17.45% — the largest 30-day swing across every contract we track.
Why prices moved

Forces pulling prices in both directions

A balanced view is more useful than a single prediction. These are the main influences in the latest report.

Pressure pulling prices lower

Saudi pipeline restoration

Saudi Arabia's 1,200 km East-West pipeline, shut by drone strikes on 14 September, began restoring capacity from 17 September onwards. By month-end, crude flows had recovered to 98% of pre-disruption levels, and the kingdom confirmed full restoration within six weeks.

Weaker chinese lng demand

Chinese LNG imports fell 8% year-on-year in September, and Bangladesh secured 18 cargoes from TotalEnergies, drawing flexible Atlantic volumes away from European markets. By month-end, this demand weakness was easing global LNG tightness.

Above-average temperatures

Temperatures across Northwest Europe ran 4°C to 11°C above seasonal norms through most of September, suppressing heating demand and keeping gas-for-power burn low. An autumn front arrived late month, but warmth persisted into month-end.

Risks that could push prices higher

Us-iran military escalation

US strikes on Iranian positions over the weekend of 31 August–2 September, followed by Iranian retaliation against US targets in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq and Bahrain, sent crude toward $100/bbl and triggered a sharp geopolitical risk premium in gas and power. The market priced in potential disruption to Strait of Hormuz shipping and LNG supply, with NBP climbing to 184 p/th by 3 September and reaching 205 p/th by 11 September—its highest level since December 2022.

Qatari lng force majeure

Qatar suspended LNG shipments and extended force majeure declarations on cargoes destined for Europe through the autumn, eliminating a crucial source of replacement volumes at a time when EU storage sat 20+ percentage points below seasonal norms. The suspension lasted through the month and into early October.

European storage deficits

EU gas storage opened September at 65%, roughly 22 percentage points below the five-year average of 87%, with Germany at historic lows of 53–54% and the Netherlands below 50%. By month-end, storage had climbed to 71.3%, but remained 15+ percentage points below seasonal norms, and Germany and the Netherlands stayed stuck around 58%.

Norwegian pipeline maintenance

Planned and unplanned outages at Troll, Kollsnes, Åsgard and other Norwegian fields held roughly 30–76 mcm/d offline for much of September, with the Troll compressor outage extended through 29 September. These restrictions tightened near-term supply and supported elevated prompt prices.

French nuclear and hydro constraints

Low river flows on the Meuse and Rhone extended outages at French nuclear plants (Chooz, Golfech, Civaux, Cattenom) and pushed hydro reserves to 56.4% of capacity—the lowest level for this time of year since 1997. EDF issued strike notices and curtailed output, keeping French power elevated and forcing reliance on German thermal generation.

Wind volatility across northwest europe

Wind generation swung sharply day-to-day throughout September, from peaks above 30 GW in Germany to troughs below 5 GW. These swings drove intraday power volatility and forced sharp changes in gas-for-power demand, with UK thermal burn jumping 19 mcm/d on low-wind days.

6-month direction

Was this month a blip or a trend?

The month-on-month number tells you the direction; these 6-month lines tell you whether it's part of a bigger move. Each tracks a rolling maturity — the near-term price, the next winter and the year ahead — so nothing breaks as contracts roll off. Hover for the value on any day.

Gas forward prices

Rolling maturities · p/therm

Near-term (Oct-26) Next winter (Win-26) Year ahead (Cal-27)

Each line is a rolling maturity — the near-term line always follows the current front month, so it never breaks as contracts roll off.

Power forward prices

Rolling maturities · £/MWh

Near-term (Oct-26) Next winter (Win-26) Year ahead (Cal-27)

Power tends to track gas; the chart shows how far the recent move has carried.

Your renewal window

Guidance grouped by how soon your contract ends

Timing urgency comes from your deadline; the market view comes from the forward contracts covering each renewal's supply period. Open your band for separate gas and electricity evidence.

Timing and value are different. Wholesale prices are currently easing. If your contract ends within three months, still get live quotes now — your decision window is shortening. Later renewals have more time to monitor the market.
1–3 months October–December 2026
Oct 2026 Nov 2026 Dec 2026
Get live quotes now

Gas is down 2.1–4.9% this week and up 2.8–17.4% over 30 days; electricity down 0.5–3.7% this week, up 2.9–14% over 30 days.

Evidence confidence Medium

⚠ December leans on Cal-27 only, so it has less seasonal visibility.

Gas Elevated to Near the top
Easing
This week Down 2.1–4.9% 30 days Up 2.8–17.4%
low 57.84 Sum-27 · today ● 136.76 high

Evidence: Nov-26, Dec-26, Q1-27, Sum-27, Win-27, Cal-27

Electricity Near the top
Easing
This week Down 0.5–3.7% 30 days Up 2.9–14%
low 59.74 Sum-27 · today ● 109.75 high

Evidence: Nov-26, Dec-26, Q1-27, Sum-27, Win-27, Cal-27

What this means

Your deadline creates the urgency. Use the current move to compare live supplier quotes now, but don't treat one falling day as proof the market has reached its bottom.

4–6 months January–March 2027
Jan 2027 Feb 2027 Mar 2027
Review and compare

Gas is down 2.1–4.3% this week and up 4.8–17.4% over 30 days; electricity down 0.5–2.1% this week, up 6.2–14% over 30 days.

Evidence confidence Medium
Gas Near the top
Easing
This week Down 2.1–4.3% 30 days Up 4.8–17.4%
low 57.84 Sum-27 · today ● 136.76 high

Evidence: Q1-27, Sum-27, Win-27

Electricity Near the top
Easing
This week Down 0.5–2.1% 30 days Up 6.2–14%
low 59.74 Sum-27 · today ● 109.75 high

Evidence: Q1-27, Sum-27, Win-27

What this means

Start reviewing the market and compare 12-, 24- and 36-month options. You have time for a considered decision, so weigh the certainty each term buys rather than chasing a perfect day.

7–9 months April–June 2027
Apr 2027 May 2027 Jun 2027
Prepare and monitor

Gas is down 0.6–2.9% this week and up 11.3–17.4% over 30 days; electricity down 0–0.8% this week, up 8–14% over 30 days.

Evidence confidence Medium
Gas Near the top
Easing
This week Down 0.6–2.9% 30 days Up 11.3–17.4%
low 65.81 Win-27 · today ● 129.93 high

Evidence: Q2-27, Sum-27, Win-27, Sum-28

Electricity Near the top
Little changed
This week Down 0–0.8% 30 days Up 8–14%
low 74.51 Win-27 · today ● 108.69 high

Evidence: Q2-27, Sum-27, Win-27, Cal-28

What this means

Get usage and site details ready, monitor the relevant forward contracts and use indicative quotes to understand the range. No need to force a decision while visibility is adequate.

10–12 months July–September 2027
Jul 2027 Aug 2027 Sep 2027
Plan ahead and watch

Gas is down 0.6–2.9% this week and up 11.3–17.4% over 30 days; electricity down 0–0.7% this week, up 8–14% over 30 days.

Evidence confidence Medium
Gas Near the top
Easing
This week Down 0.6–2.9% 30 days Up 11.3–17.4%
low 65.81 Win-27 · today ● 129.93 high

Evidence: Sum-27, Win-27, Sum-28

Electricity Near the top
Little changed
This week Down 0–0.7% 30 days Up 8–14%
low 74.51 Win-27 · today ● 108.69 high

Evidence: Sum-27, Win-27, Cal-28

What this means

Plan your procurement timetable and stay informed. Far-dated products can hide seasonal detail, so a firm buy-or-wait instruction would be false precision at this stage.

The honest read

Gas and power are not moving together. That makes any single read of the market less reliable.

And wholesale is only part of a quote — non-energy charges, credit, volume and shape all move the final rate. The practical decision is how much further movement your business can tolerate before its contract deadline.

If prices ease further

Wind, milder weather and diplomacy help

If diplomatic talks between Iran and the US gain traction and the Strait of Hormuz reopens, Qatari LNG could resume and global supply tighten less severely. Warmer-than-normal winter forecasts (currently priced in) could ease storage pressure further, allowing prices to drift lower as the month-ahead contracts roll off and far-dated ones become the focus.

If prices rise again

Low storage leaves little cushion

A breakdown in US-Iran negotiations or a fresh attack on Middle East shipping could reignite the geopolitical premium and push gas back toward 200+ p/th. Storage deficits across Germany and the Netherlands remain acute, and any supply disruption would leave little room for error heading into winter.

Fixing buys budget certainty. It does not prove that a business has predicted the market correctly.

Market in numbers

The wholesale forward curve

Where the month ended across every contract — kept for readers who want the detail.

Open gas and electricity forward tables
Monthly, quarterly, seasonal and annual contracts · month-ending close
View data ⌄

Gas

p/therm
Contract Price Day Week 30d
Oct-26 month 174.56 ↓ 4.74% ↓ 4.29% ↑ 3.60%
Nov-26 month 176.53 ↓ 4.90% ↓ 4.93% ↑ 2.84%
Dec-26 month 178.42 ↓ 4.79% ↓ 4.82% —
Q4-26 quarter 176.50 ↓ 4.81% ↓ 4.68% ↑ 3.11%
Q1-27 quarter 175.27 ↓ 4.72% ↓ 4.32% ↑ 4.75%
Q2-27 quarter 133.39 ↓ 3.41% ↓ 2.19% ↑ 17.44%
Win-26 season 175.89 ↓ 4.77% ↓ 4.50% ↑ 3.92%
Sum-27 season 128.06 ↓ 3.41% ↓ 2.14% ↑ 17.30%
Win-27 season 124.01 ↓ 3.11% ↓ 2.85% ↑ 17.45%
Sum-28 season 81.75 ↓ 2.48% ↓ 0.55% ↑ 11.27%
Cal-27 calendar 139.04 ↓ 3.75% ↓ 2.93% ↑ 13.28%
Cal-28 calendar 93.38 ↓ 2.69% ↓ 1.25% ↑ 12.72%
Cal-29 calendar 76.28 ↓ 1.36% ↑ 0.93% ↑ 10.21%

Electricity

£/MWh
Contract Price Day Week 30d
Oct-26 month 139.05 ↓ 5.21% ↓ 2.65% ↑ 6.02%
Nov-26 month 145.85 ↓ 3.71% ↓ 2.85% ↑ 2.94%
Dec-26 month 143.60 ↓ 3.47% ↓ 3.72% —
Q4-26 quarter 142.80 ↓ 4.13% ↓ 3.08% ↑ 3.48%
Q1-27 quarter 145.91 ↓ 3.08% ↓ 2.09% ↑ 6.25%
Q2-27 quarter 105.60 ↓ 2.41% ↓ 0.77% ↑ 11.40%
Win-26 season 144.34 ↓ 3.61% ↓ 2.59% ↑ 4.84%
Sum-27 season 102.70 ↓ 2.31% ↓ 0.73% ↑ 11.33%
Win-27 season 104.88 ↓ 1.28% ↓ 0.52% ↑ 14.00%
Cal-27 calendar 114.40 ↓ 2.31% ↓ 1.11% ↑ 10.24%
Cal-28 calendar 81.30 ↓ 1.00% → 0.02% ↑ 7.97%
Cal-29 calendar 71.85 ↓ 0.21% ↑ 0.17% ↑ 3.81%
Fixed-term choices

Contract length is a risk decision, not a forecast

No term protects against every outcome. Weigh the certainty the business wants against how soon it is willing to return to the market.

12

months

More flexibility if markets fall, but the business returns to the market sooner.

  • Shorter budget certainty
  • Earlier exposure to the next renewal
  • Useful where flexibility matters most
24

months

A middle ground between price certainty and revisiting the market.

  • Two-year budgeting
  • Less frequent procurement
  • Still allows a medium-term review
36

months

Greater certainty, but a longer commitment if markets later fall.

  • Longest budget protection
  • Reduced exposure to near-term shocks
  • Higher opportunity cost if prices drop

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Source: SEFE Energy daily reports across September 2026. Month figures are the average of each day's front-month close; the "vs last month" move compares this month's average with the previous month's. Analysis, positions and confidence are produced independently by The Smart Energy Company.
History basis: 183 distinct business-day reports from 5 January 2026 to 30 September 2026.
Important: General market information, not a forecast or a recommendation to enter a particular contract. Actual supplier pricing depends on usage profile, network costs, levies, losses, credit and margin.
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