Yahoo News How long can the UK’s gas storage last before it runs out?
Gas inventory levels have come under added pressure from the cold weather and the end of Russian pipeline supplies through Ukraine.
UK gas stores have fallen to “concerningly low” levels amid freezing cold temperatures, the owner of British Gas has said.
Centrica said the UK now has less than a week’s worth of demand for gas in store, but the government has insisted the country has enough supply to meet demand.
So, how long does the UK's gas storage last? Here, Yahoo News explains.
Why is it running low?
Centrica said gas inventory levels are under pressure amid "high demand" during the "colder-than-usual conditions".
This has been combined with the end of Russian gas pipeline supplies through Ukraine on 31 December: a further strain on energy markets after Putin cut off 80 billion cubic metres of supplies to Europe following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
But even during the war, its gas continued to flow to Europe via Ukraine as part of an agreement signed in 2019. However, this expired on New Year's Day, with Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy having said: “We won’t allow them to earn additional billions off our blood."
Centrica said "stubbornly high gas prices" have made it harder to top up storage.
How long can the UK’s gas storage last?
According to the Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory, which provides daily inventory reports, the UK had 4.9076 terawatt-hours (TWh) of gas in storage on Wednesday. This was 49.8% full.
The UK has among the smallest amount of gas storage of any major European countries, with capacity to hold enough gas for 12 average days or 7.5 peak winter days.
Centrica said stocks at UK gas storage sites are 26% lower than the same period last year, meaning the UK currently has less than seven days' worth of capacity.
In comparison, Germany has enough for 89 days, France 103 days and the Netherlands 123 days.
Centrica operates the UK’s largest gas storage site, Rough, a facility under the North Sea off the east coast of England.
Meanwhile, there are 37 gas generation sites across the UK (see graphic, below).
Will the UK run out?
The government has insisted not.
A Number 10 spokesman said on Friday: "We are confident we will have a sufficient gas supply and electricity capacity to meet demand this winter, due to our diverse and resilient energy system.
“We speak regularly with the national energy system operator to monitor our energy security, and ensure they have all tools at their disposal if needed to secure our supply."
Where does the UK get its gas from?
Natural gas accounted for 53% of power in the UK on Friday, according to National Grid data.
Norway is the biggest source - via pipeline - of the UK's gas. According to calculations by Sunsave, imports from Norway accounted for 41% of the country's gas in 2023.
The second biggest source was domestic, from the North Sea (30%), followed by the US (18%).
The government wants to move away from oil and gas production, and in October said it would raise a so-called windfall tax on companies drilling in the North Sea to 38% from 35%.
Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit think tank, said the UK needs to reduce its demand for gas, otherwise "we’ll just become more dependent on imports from abroad, with prices set by the international markets.
“When gas prices rise in Europe and across the world, they rise in the UK too. More drilling in the North Sea is a red herring solution.
“Energy independence and stabilised bills will come from insulating houses, moving away from gas boilers to electric heat pumps and building out more renewables so that we aren’t as reliant on gas for power.”
