'Significant risk of UK gas supply emergency' could mean that some customers, starting with the largest industrial consumers, will be asked to stop using gas for a temporary period.
The regulator spoke up just days before electricity system operator National Grid was due to give an update to its winter outlook for spare capacity.How to save money on energy billsthat it expected supply to be tight but did not expect the lights to go out despite the Europe-wide battle to secure supplies.The International Energy Agency warned of"unprecedented risks", adding that prolonged cold snaps would place supplies at particular risk.
Its quarterly report found that European Union countries would need to reduce use by 13% over the course of the winter months in case of a complete Russian cut-off. Supplies from Russia - which accounted for 40% of the bloc's natural gas needs ahead of the war - are currently only running at a tiny fraction of usual capacity.
The EU has accused Moscow of weaponising supplies by turning off the taps on the main Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The supply crisis has seen businesses on the continent, particularly Germany, cut back on natural gas use as prices soar.