Government to hold further talks with energy bosses - as business secretary says winter gas supply 'not a cause for immediate concern'

The government is to hold more crisis talks with the energy regulator over rising gas prices today.

On Saturday, the UK's business secretary reassured the public gas supply this winter is "not a cause for immediate concern".

Kwasi Kwarteng posted a series of tweets after holding meetings with senior executives from the energy industry to discuss the impact of high global gas prices - blamed on high global demand, maintenance issues and lower solar and wind energy output - on Saturday.

It follows fears that some energy firms will go bust, consumers will be hit by food shortages, and that household bills could jump by as much as £400 per year.

Mr Kwarteng said he would meet with the industry regulator Ofgem again on Sunday before organising a roundtable with industry leaders on Monday.

He promised to "remain in constant contact" with colleagues across government to "manage the wider implications of the global gas price increase".

It comes amid concerns over whether some people will be unable to afford the cost of heating their homes over winter, and as some companies which use gas for production shut down.

Ranjit Singh Boparan, the owner of Bernard Matthews and 2 Sisters Food Group, has warned that Christmas dinners could be "cancelled", while Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, told Sky News that Britons could see pork and poultry "disappear off the shelves in the next couple of weeks" due to the knock-on effects of high prices.

But Mr Kwarteng said he had been "reassured that security of supply was not a cause for immediate concern within the industry", following Saturday's meetings.

He continued: "The UK benefits from having a diverse range of gas supply sources, with sufficient capacity to more than meet demand. The UK's gas system continues to operate reliably and we do not expect supply emergencies this winter."

He added that protecting customers from huge price rises was "an absolute priority".

While some energy firms are "facing pressure", he said, industry regulator Ofgem has "robust measures in place to ensure that customers do not need to worry, their needs are met, and their gas and electricity supply will continue uninterrupted if a supplier fails".

It is understood that Mr Kwarteng held talks with senior executives from Ofgem, Centrica, National Grid, Energy UK, Octopus, Ovo, SSE, EDF, ScottishPower, Shell Energy, E.ON, Bulb and SGN.

It comes after a former head of Ofgem warned Britain is likely to face high energy prices for the rest of the year.

Dermot Nolan, a former Ofgem chief executive, said the increases were the result of depleted stocks following a cold winter last winter, reduced supply from Russia, and increased demand for liquefied natural gas from the Far East.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "It is not obvious to me what can be done in the very short run. Britain does have secure relatively diverse sources of gas, so I think the lights will stay on.

"But I am afraid it is likely in my view that high gas and high electricity prices will be sustained for the next three to four months.

"It is very difficult to see what the government can do directly in this regard."

Mr Kwarteng countered fears by saying that the UK's "largest single source of gas is from domestic production, and the vast majority of imports come from reliable suppliers such as Norway", and that "we are not dependent on Russian oil and gas".

The problems for the meat industry are being caused by a shortage of carbon dioxide gas, as the sharp rise in gas prices has meant two large fertiliser plants in Teesside and Cheshire - which produce CO2 as a by-product - have shut.

Mr Boparan said that this, combined with a shortage of workers, will affect the supply of turkeys and other meat.

"The supply of Bernard Matthews turkeys this Christmas was already compromised as I need to find 1,000 extra workers to process supplies," he said. "Now with no CO2 supply, Christmas will be cancelled.

"The CO2 issue is a massive body blow and puts us at breaking point, it really does - that's poultry, beef, pork, as well as the wider food industry."

Sky's economics and data editor Ed Conway says that in the coming months, we can expect many more industrial plants to temporarily cease production.

An Ofgem spokesman said: "Currently wholesale gas prices are at a record high, driven by international supply and demand factors.

"This is undoubtedly putting pressure on companies - with four leaving the market over the last few weeks.

"Ofgem cannot comment on whether further suppliers will fail, but we have the systems and processes in place to ensure that customer needs are always met.

"For those customers who are with energy companies that can no longer trade, a new supplier will be appointed.

"Ofgem is working closely with government to manage the wider implications of the global gas price increase."

Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow business secretary, said it was the government's "basic duty" to ensure "secure, affordable energy supplies for businesses and families" and that it was a "fundamental failure of long-term government planning over the last decade that we are so exposed and vulnerable as a country".

He added: "If we had been investing at sufficient scale in diverse, secure, zero carbon energy supplies and making energy efficiency a much bigger priority, we would not be in such a precarious position.

"Ministers must recognise the severity of the cost of living crisis now facing families as a result of rising energy prices and their unfair tax rise and cancel the cut to Universal Credit.

"They must also ensure security of supply and take the long-term action to put in place a much more robust, resilient and diverse energy infrastructure."