With more efficient homes, the UK would never fear running short of gas

Last week's brief but unnerving shortfall was a reminder, if any were needed, of the central importance of energy efficiencyCarry on cooking as normal, the energy minister said. This is how the market works, said industry experts, as the wholesale price of gas rocketed 200% in the wake of National Grid's warning on Thursday that the country was facing a gas shortfall. In other words, don't panic, nothing to see here.To an extent, they're right. In the short term the UK was fine, despite huge demand fuelled by cold weather coinciding with a series of interruptions to supply. No domestic gas supplies were cut off and neither was National Grid forced to ask industrial users to stop using gas. Continue reading...