Ofgem’s comments were made public just days before National Grid is set to provide an update on the possibility of winter blackouts.
The energy regulator has warned of a “substantial danger” of gas shortages in the United Kingdom this winter.
The information, which was disclosed in a letter sent by Ofgem last week and first reported by The Times, discussed the possibility of “gas supply emergency” measures to help preserve stocks as a result of the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has deprived Europe of its primary source of natural gas.
A gas supply emergency is declared when suppliers are unable to deliver gas to households and businesses in a safe manner.
It is possible that some customers, beginning with the larger industrial consumers, will be ordered to temporarily stop using gas.
The objective would be to maintain reliable gas and gas-generated energy supply for as long as possible.
Energy costs are now protected by government limitations, sparing both households and businesses from the worst of the wintertime wholesale price increase.
Just days before electrical system operator (ESO) National Grid was scheduled to update its winter outlook for spare capacity, the regulator spoke out.
It had stated at the end of July that it anticipated a supply crunch but did not anticipate a blackout despite the Europe-wide struggle to acquire supplies.
A separate assessment released on Monday validated concerns regarding the approaching winter months.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) issued a warning about “extraordinary dangers,” saying that persistent cold snaps pose a particular threat to supplies.
According to its quarterly assessment, European Union countries would need to lower use by 13% over the winter months in the event of a complete Russian cutoff.
Supplies from Russia, which provided for forty percent of the bloc’s natural gas requirements before the war, are currently operating at a fraction of their normal capacity.
The EU has accused Russia of weaponizing supply by closing the major Nord Stream 1 pipeline’s taps.
As a result of the supply situation, businesses on the continent, particularly in Germany, have reduced their natural gas consumption as prices increase.
