New UK-wide polling commissioned by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) shows overwhelming public support for using the UK’s own oil and gas resources alongside renewables to strengthen national security, manage overreliance on imports, and ensure stable, long-term decision-making on how the sector is taxed.
The research, conducted by Opinium with a representative sample of 2,000 UK adults (10–13 March 2026), reveals that:
Key Findings
- 76% find it convincing that 'because global events can disrupt energy supplies, the UK should continue producing oil and gas at home rather than relying more on imports.'
- 74% say the UK should 'produce as much of its own oil and gas as possible rather than rely on imports.'
- 40% believe the best approach to UK energy security is investing in a balanced mix of renewables and UK oil and gas, compared to just 26% who want a renewables-only approach and 13% who want oil and gas only.
- 59% think oil and gas companies should pay higher taxes when prices are unusually high – but crucially, 67% say any windfall tax must be rules-based, providing clear, predictable certainty about how companies will be taxed.
- When asked about a permanent, rules-based windfall mechanism, a plurality (45%) of the public supports the model, with only a small minority (12%) opposing it and many seeking clarity before deciding.
Together, the findings show an electorate that wants energy security, stability, and a pragmatic plan – not polarisation.
David Whitehouse, CEO of Offshore Energies UK, said:
'The public are clear: the UK needs homegrown energy and a balanced transition that strengthens our national security.
'People want renewables and UK oil and gas working side by side – not one instead of the other – and they want decisions based on long-term rules, not short-term politics.
'A rules-based approach to taxation is part of that stability. It ensures the public receives a fair share in times of genuine windfalls while giving companies the certainty needed to keep investing in UK energy, UK jobs and the UK’s transition.'
The polling reinforces what OEUK set out in The Times last week:
- The UK faces a decade of high energy demand and cannot afford to become more dependent on imported oil and gas.
- A stable, balanced energy system – combining UK oil, gas, offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture – is essential to national resilience.
- The North Sea can continue to produce lower-carbon, responsibly regulated energy for the UK while supporting new low-carbon industries.
- Stability is key: a rules-based framework for taxation provides fairness for the public and the certainty needed for companies to keep investing here.
This is the pragmatic centre-ground – the one the public consistently backs.
Source: OEUK
