UK to face power shortages if sanctions on Russia remain

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The UK National Grid said, as cited by the Telegraph newspaper, that the UK will face electricity shortages as early as this winter if Russia curtails its energy supply. The National Grid, the electricity and gas utility company in the UK, said that despite the submarine electricity cable that will transmit electricity from Europe to the UK, the UK will suffer “tight” periods of electricity supply, meaning that there will be long periods of shortages. 

The Telegraph wrote that the European continent is already dealing with an electricity struggle as power generators across the continent are facing low nuclear power generation in France accompanied by a decreased gas flow from Russia. 

See more: Problems paying heating and energy bills are on the horizon for the Brits

In addition to that, monthly electricity bills in households across the UK will increase to £500 come January. The energy supply across the UK has become incapable of leveling with the demand. Experts have warned that relying on free power supplies from overseas, during the winter season, is a high-risk deal as the UK could be exposed to a complete blackout threat if Russia cuts off gas supplies.

Currently, the gas supply going through Nord Stream 1 accounts for less than 20% of its capacity, said the gas operators. Earlier on Monday, Gazprom, a Russian energy giant, announced that it would shut down another Siemens turbine, the turbine that was shut for repairs and remained stranded for days due to Russian-related sanctions. This meant that less than 33 million cubic meters per day are crossing through Nord Stream 1 over to Europe.

In the UK, millions of households have been impacted by the growing cost of living. The national price ceiling for gas and electricity increased by 54% as of April 1. Consumer energy expenditures in the UK have increased by an average of 700 pounds annually.

On July 23rd, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told reporters, during his trip to Moscow,  that the EU should be truthful about the realities of the gas supply from Russia rather than treating it as an ideological matter. 

“It has been proven that the purchase of natural gas is not an ideological issue, but a physical issue that can’t be solved by talking,” Szijjarto said. 

The EU has been urging member states to decrease dependence on Russian gas as a response to Moscow's military operation in Ukraine.

On Thursday, Germany triggered the "alarm stage" of its emergency gas plan, while the European Commission called on its members to slash their gas use by 15% from August 2022 till March 2023. 

Read more: Nothing prevents delivery of Siemens turbine to Russia: Germany