Blitz Bureau
THE UK has enough gas to meet winter demand, the network operator has said, after British Gas owner Centrica warned about “concerningly low” storage levels, according to BBC.
According to Centrica, which owns the country’s largest gas storage facility, the UK had “less than a week of gas demand in store” due to colder-than-usual weather. However, National Gas, which owns the UK gas network, said the UK gets its gas from “a diverse range of sources” and that storage “remains healthy”.
Energy analysts said even if gas storage did run low, the UK could buy in more from Europe and other countries.
Centrica has said that UK gas storage facilities are currently about half-full.
“Plunging temperatures and high demand for gas-fired power stations have reduced UK winter gas storage to concerningly low levels,” it said. “Stubbornly high” gas prices had made it “more difficult to top up storage”, the company added. Parts of the UK are experiencing freezing conditions, with extremely low night-time temperatures forecast in some areas. Gas central heating is the most common way that households heat their homes.
Around three in four households (74 per cent) in England and Wales said it was their only central heating source in 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics.
National Gas, which owns and operates nearly 5,000 miles of the UK’s gas transmission system, said the “overall picture across Great Britain’s eight main gas storage sites remains healthy with average levels at just over 60 per cent across the board”. It added it was “well-placed to respond to demand this winter”.
