Russian gas crisis could mean ‘nyet' to price cuts

Gas is our most heavily used fuel, however, supplies are dependent on imports which currently accounts for over a third of all our gas. This means the UK relies heavily on a continuous supply from Europe and the current Russian supply crisis has driven up wholesale prices again, dashing hopes of the much anticipated price cut.

We currently import 39% of our energy and within 10 years, this is set to rise to 56% as a third of electricity generating capacity will be lost.

Calls have been made for the Government to act swiftly and force the energy companies into investing in energy generation as nothing short of quick, decisive action from the Government will result in a disastrous energy crunch according to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Gareth Kloet, head of utilities at Confused.com says: "Whilst the UK only imports around 2-3% of its energy from Russia, the recent crisis highlights the need to secure our own supply capabilities, as almost 40% of our total supply is imported from Europe. It is difficult to understand how we can gain control of energy price fluctuations in the UK until we significantly reduce the amount of gas we import.

"We must cut the red tape on building renewable energy sources to make it easier for suppliers to generate more energy, and perhaps most of all we need to be willing to put our tax money to use as well as seeing an increase in the investment made by energy suppliers.

"No matter what happens to price fluctuations, the best way for consumers to keep costs to a minimum is to vote with their feet and switch to the best tariff in the market for their needs. There is a perception that switching energy providers is difficult and time consuming but as long as you know either how much you are currently paying or you know your actual consumption, with only a few clicks on the Confused.com website, you could make considerable savings."