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
2 April 2026
Alongside a rapid continued build-out of renewables, China’s latest five-year plan stresses the value of domestic hydrocarbon production for energy security and calls for increased Russian gas imports
2 April 2026
The government is taking important steps to revive domestic production, lift investment and benefit from the geopolitical crisis even if more needs to be done in the longer term
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices






