Centrica, which operates the nation’s largest gas storage facility, highlighted that the UK currently has “less than a week of gas demand in store” due to colder-than-average weather.
However, National Gas, which manages the UK gas network, reassured that the UK sources gas from “a diverse range of suppliers” and that storage levels “remain healthy”.
Energy analysts noted that even if gas storage were to run low, the UK could import additional supplies from Europe and other countries.
Centrica reported that UK gas storage facilities are approximately half-full. It added that “plunging temperatures and high demand for gas-fired power stations have reduced UK winter gas storage to concerningly low levels”. The company also cited “stubbornly high” gas prices as a factor making it “more difficult to replenish storage”.
Parts of the UK are currently experiencing freezing conditions, with forecasts predicting extremely low night-time temperatures in some regions. Gas central heating remains the primary method of heating for most households, with 74% of homes in England and Wales relying on it exclusively in 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics.
National Gas, which operates nearly 5,000 miles of the UK’s gas transmission network, stated that the “overall picture across Great Britain’s eight main gas storage sites remains healthy, with average levels at just over 60%”.