Off-gas-grid homes in Wales
An estimated 23% of households in Wales are not connected to the mains gas grid — well above the GB average of ~15%. Rural Wales has one of the highest off-gas-grid rates in Britain — much of mid and north Wales has never had a mains gas connection. These homes rely on oil, LPG, electric and heat-pump heating, which is where efficient electric options like infrared matter most.
How many homes in Wales are off the gas grid?
Around 23% of Wales households — roughly 320,000 homes (estimate) — have no mains gas connection, well above the GB average of ~15%.
Wales heating & electricity snapshot
- Off-gas-grid share
- 23%
- Off-gas-grid homes (est.)
- 320,000
- GB average
- ~15%
- Grid electricity carbon
- moderate
- Main clean source
- solar and wind
Off-gas-grid figures: DESNZ sub-national estimate. Carbon context: National Grid ESO Carbon Intensity API. Both indicative.
What this means for heating in Wales
With so many Welsh homes off the gas grid already, efficient electric heating is often the most practical low-disruption upgrade. For off-gas-grid households, the choice is not gas versus electric — it is between liquid fuels, storage heaters, heat pumps and infrared. Infrared panels suit targeted room heating, intermittently used spaces and replacing ageing electric heaters, while a heat pump is usually the cheapest option for continuous whole-home heating of a well-insulated property.
Towns we cover in Wales
Off-gas-grid heating in Wales: FAQs
Reviewed by the Infrared Heat Solutions technical team · Last updated July 2026 · Data sources: DESNZ sub-national data, National Grid ESO Carbon Intensity API