Can the UK take its foot off the gas?
While the government might complain about the vicissitudes of the international gas market, the UK's transition away from the fuel is fraught with challenges
UK energy secretary Ed Miliband often decries the fact that the country’s dependence on imported oil and gas has left it in the grip of “dictators and petrostates”. It is true the country has learned a hard lesson about the dynamics of the global gas market in the recent energy crisis. The dominant narrative from the UK government and energy regulator Ofgem is that the only way to improve the UK’s energy security is to accelerate the energy transition. 36.5% – Gas’ share of UK inland energy consumption in 2023 Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley recently stated that “our reliance on international gas markets leads to volatile wholesale prices and continues to drive up bills, which is why it

Also in this section
7 August 2025
Without US backing, the EU’s newest sanctions package against Russia—though not painless—is unlikely to have a significant impact on the country’s oil and gas revenues or its broader economy
6 August 2025
Diesel market disruptions have propelled crude prices above $100/bl twice in this century, and now oil teeters on the brink of another crude quality crisis
5 August 2025
After failed attempts to find a buyer for its stake in Russia’s largest oil producer, BP may be able to avoid the harsh treatment meted out to ExxonMobil and Shell when they exited—and could even restart operations if geopolitical conditions improve
1 August 2025
A number of companies have filed arbitration claims against Gazprom over non-deliveries of contracted gas or other matters—and won. The next step is to collect the award, but this is no easy task