Britain says gas reserves have fallen to alarmingly low levels

Gas reserves in UK storage facilities have fallen to an "alarmingly low" level amid the interruption of Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine and a colder than usual winter. This was reported on January 10 by the British company Centrica.

"Low temperatures and high demand from gas-fired power stations have reduced UK winter gas stocks to alarmingly low levels. UK gas storage is under pressure this winter as the UK struggles with both extreme cold weather and high gas prices. Continued colder than normal conditions in the UK, combined with the end of Russian gas pipeline deliveries through Ukraine on December 31, 2024, have resulted in gas storage levels across the UK falling," the company said in a statement.

As indicated, as of January 9, UK storage facilities are 26% below last year's reserves. They remain about half full.

"This means that the UK has less than a week of gas demand in stock," the company added.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out on January 9 that the beneficiary of the termination of gas transit through Ukraine was the United States. At the same time, European countries are interested in receiving more competitive gas from Russia.

On the same day, a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Berlin, Gunnar Lindemann, told Izvestiya that the cessation of gas transportation from Russia through Ukraine to Western Europe would lead to a serious rise in the price of this fuel already this month. The rise in prices will hit the poorest residents of the region first of all. Such people may not be able to pay their expensive gas bills and will be left without heating in winter.

On January 1, 2025 Gazprom stopped supplying fuel to Europe via Ukraine. The company said that this happened due to the repeated and explicit refusal of the Ukrainian side to extend these agreements.

Back in August last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (his term of office expired in May 2024) said that Kiev would not extend the gas transit agreement with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Moscow was not giving up gas supplies through Ukrainian territory.