Report urges strategic thinking to protect UK's energy supply

The report, published by MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Committee, argues that gas storage capacity needs to be increased in the UK to minimise the potential damage from supply interruptions or price spikes.

It reveals that the UK’s current storage capacity amounts to only 14 days’ worth of gas supply — an amount they believe to be dangerously low compared with France, which has 87 days’ worth of gas storage, Germany, which has 69, and Italy, which has 59.

Tim Yeo MP, chair of the committee, said: ‘The UK will become more dependent on energy imports as North Sea oil and gas declines, but prudent planning can ensure this doesn’t reduce our energy security too drastically.

‘To keep the lights on and our transport moving, we need a diverse energy portfolio that does not rely too heavily on fossil fuels from unstable parts of the world or any one single technology at home.’