UK gas supply dwindles as country experiences sub-zero weather

The UK faces the possibility of gas supply crisis as the worst cold season in 30 years hit the country.

The National Grid earlier issued a warning that this winter season’s energy demand is threatening to exceed the current available gas supply. The organization advised big companies to reduce their consumption and requested to purchase more gas from abroad.

The alert provoked the cost of gas to increase by 70 per cent, and raised concerns that households and businesses could soon be affected by supply shortage if the sub-zero weather persists for the rest of January.

Shadow Energy Secretary Greg Clark said that for 12 years, the UK government has refused to acknowledge the country’s precarious energy security problem. Clark stressed that he had repeatedly warned National Grid that the country lacks the needed back-up plans that Germany and France have in place for freezing weather conditions. He further stated that today’s warnings on power cuts and gas supply shortages are the results of Labour’s negligence.

Gas was rapidly flowing out of the country’s main storage at Rough, as the freezing weather heightens and work resumed yesterday. The sudden increase in demand put intense pressure on gas supplies, requiring National Grild to pump in costlier gas coming from mainland Europe.

Experts have forecasted that the UK now only has enough gas supply for 15 days, so the country will have to depend on gas imports sooner. Energy analyst Ian Parrett from Inenco warned that the UK is in risk of paying more on gas costs and blamed the government’s lack of investment on gas storage plants.