‘Keep cooking’ despite gas shortage

Households have been told to “carry on cooking” despite National Grid issuing a gas deficit warning as fears mount that supplies could run empty and energy prices could skyrocket amid extreme weather conditions across Britain.

The operator said the warning has been issued in response to a series of “significant supply losses resulting in a forecast endof-day supply deficit”.

Household supplies are not expected to be affected but shortages could hit industrial users as the 0 Household supplies are not expected to be affected grid attempts to balance supply and demand. Around 1.9 million Scottish households depend on gas as their primary heating source.

GMB Scotland secretary Gary Smith said: “The National Grid’s decision to issue a ‘gas deficit warning’ to the market is a sobering reminder of the fragility in our domestic energy supply and should reignite the debate over our energy future.”

Michael Bradshaw, professor of global energy at Warwick Business School, said: “With GB demand surging to over 400mcm a day, a loss of capacity from any source of flexible supply, due to technical problems or an inability to attract sufficient gas from European markets, can lead to a supply emergency such as we see at present. Large industrial consumers are likely to be asked to reduce their consumption, but as the cold spell continues things could get very difficult.”