Government statistics out today show gas made up two-fifths (40.8%) of electricity generated by major power producers between July to September 2014.

Gas power plants are picking up the strain from coal stations which dominated for the last two years, according to the quarterly figures.

Supply from coal stations slumped 41% compared with the same three months last year.

Meanwhile gas-fired plants roared into action, supplying 43% or 7.7 terawatt hours (TWh) more in the third quarter of 2014 versus 2013.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change put this down to coal plants closing plus a unit at Drax converting to biomass. At the same time there were lower wholesale gas prices for gas plants to take advantage of.

Two of EDF’s nuclear power plants shutting down also meant the supply from nuclear dropped 16.2%.

More wind farms saw wind generation by the big power producers jumped 9.6%, while overall renewables were up 26% with a boost from biomass.