The government said “it is categorically untrue that the UK only has access to two days of gas supply”
The government said “it is categorically untrue that the UK only has access to two days of gas supply”
22:25, 08 Mar 2026Updated 22:59, 08 Mar 2026
Claims that Britain has only “two days worth of gas” left have been strongly denied by the government. Fears that the war in the Middle East could spark a new global energy crisis have brought new focus on the UK’s capacity to store gas – which supplies 30 million homes nationwide.
The country’s entire backup natural gas reserves currently stand at 6,700 GWh, according to data published by National Gas. A similar volume of gas is also stored in liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, the Mirror reports.
But responding to reports that this meant the country only has access to two days of gas supply in an emergency, a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “It is categorically untrue that the UK only has access to two days of gas supply. We have a diverse energy mix and are confident in our security of supply.
“Gas will continue to play a key role in our diverse and resilient energy system as we transition to more secure, clean homegrown energy.
“We are working with industry to ensure the gas system is fit for the future, including maintaining security of supply in the rarest scenarios.”
A National Gas spokesperson said: “Britain’s gas storage levels are broadly in line with what we would expect at this point in the year and are comparable to this time last year. It’s important to remember that storage makes up only a small part of Britain’s diverse gas supply mix.
“The majority of our gas comes from the UK Continental Shelf and Norway, complemented by LNG, interconnectors with continental Europe, and storage.
“Great Britain benefits from a wide range of supply sources that the market draws on every day. Together, these provide the flexibility needed to balance supply and demand reliably throughout the year.”
Gas prices nearly doubled this week after Qatar shut off the world’s largest LNG plant following an Iranian drone assault, while the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has also heightened fears of a global energy shortage.
In normal times, around 20% of global oil and natural gas shipments pass through the strategically important narrow waterway, which connects the Middle East and the open seas.
But after the war with the US and Israel broke out, Iran threatened to set any ship that passes through the strait “on fire” – bringing sea traffic to an almost complete halt, and causing havoc on the global energy markets.
Britain is especially vulnerable to such “energy shocks”, particularly when it comes to gas, due to our dependence on imports.
In 2017, the previous Tory government allowed the closure of Centrica’s Rough storage facility, a North Sea site that previously provided 70% of Britain’s total storage capacity. This was partially reopened in 2022, though remains far below its earlier capacity.
What do soaring gas prices mean for my bills?
In the short term, British households should be protected from the sharp rises in prices on their energy bills, as next month’s energy price cap has already been decided.
The latest Ofgem energy price cap coming into effect from April 1 will be £1,641 a year, a 6.7% fall from the current level.
But analysts have warned that the effects of the Middle East conflict mean prices are likely to shoot back up when the next cap is due in July.
It’s feared this could surge to £1,801, or even as high as £2,500 – the same price paid by UK consumers when the government brought in the emergency Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
