Electricity, gas, water and waste in the United Kingdom
This page gathers the figures we hold on electricity, gas, water and waste in the United Kingdom. Each section names its own source.
Each source groups industries its own way, so the edges of electricity, gas, water and waste differ a little from section to section.
- EBITDA margin21.5%share of sales, 2024
- Still trading after three years49.7%of businesses started in 2021
- Earnings change+4.9%the year to June 2026
Margins
In 2024, what was left after bought-in costs and staff costs came to 21.5% of sales across the industry. The measure is close to EBITDA.
Staff costs took 8.0% of sales, and purchases 71.5%.
What is the average profit margin in electricity, gas, water and waste?
Across every electricity, gas, water and waste business added together, sales less bought-in and staff costs came to 21.5% of sales in 2024. The measure is close to EBITDA.
Every business in the industry is added together, so the figures are not a typical business. The survey does not count owners' own pay as a cost, so the figure reads high where small businesses are many.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Business Survey, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratios computed by onestepright.
How many businesses are still trading
About 50 in every 100 were still trading three years later.
The ONS counts businesses registered for VAT or PAYE. The rate is our calculation from its counts.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Business Demography, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Rates computed by onestepright.
Businesses that started and stopped
Each is a share of the businesses trading in 2024.
A business counts as stopped when it is no longer active on the ONS register of VAT and PAYE businesses. The rates are our calculation from ONS counts.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Business Demography, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Rates computed by onestepright.
What costs did
What earnings and input prices did in this industry. Each comes from its own ONS series and grouping of industries. Earnings move with the mix of jobs and hours as well as with pay, so they are not a pay rate.
Each bar comes from its own ONS series, named below.
Average weekly earnings in electricity, gas and water supply, the ONS group nearest electricity, gas, water and waste, rose 4.9% in the year to June 2026.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Average Weekly Earnings, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
No ONS price series measures this industry's inputs closely enough to show.
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
See electricity, gas, water and waste in Australia.
See electricity, gas, water and waste in New Zealand.
See electricity, gas, water and waste in Canada.
See electricity, gas, water and waste in the United States.
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