UK gas reserves fall to ‘concerningly low’ levels, says British Gas owner

The UK’s gas reserves have plummeted to “concerningly low” levels as a result of soaring demand during freezing weather conditions, Centrica, the owner of British Gas, warned on Friday.


The country’s gas storage sites are reported to be around 50% full, with stocks 26% lower than at the same time last year.

Chris O’Shea, the chief executive of Centrica, expressed concern over the situation, saying: “We are an outlier from the rest of Europe when it comes to the role of storage in our energy system and we are now seeing the implications of that.”

Centrica highlighted that the UK currently has less than a week’s worth of gas demand in storage.


The country’s reliance on limited storage capacity, combined with increased consumption due to the cold snap, has placed the gas supply system under significant strain.

Adding to the pressure is the cessation of Russian gas pipeline supplies through Ukraine, which ended last month.

The Rough gas storage facility, located off England’s east coast, plays a critical role, accounting for roughly half of the UK’s gas storage capacity.


Since early November, the site has delivered nearly 420 million cubic meters of gas—enough to heat 3 million homes daily. However, Centrica emphasized that the reserves are rapidly depleting.


Despite Centrica’s concerns, a spokesperson for the prime minister said that officials are “confident the UK has sufficient gas supply and electricity capacity to meet demand this winter.”

The spokesperson added that the government remains in regular communication with the national energy system operator to monitor the situation and implement contingency plans if required.