This graph from The Guardian says it all but it is worth noting that coal use in the United Kingdom is now at the lowest level it has been since 1757. Coal was once essentially the only method to generate electricity in Great Britain, and as recent as the early 1990s, it was the source for 50% of the electricity.
New sources have come online through wind, biomass and and nuclear to reduce the dependency on coal. And in fact, starting next year, coal will no longer be used to generate electricity in the U.K ending over 200 years of coal reliance.