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Analysis and Earth

Don't panic – homes in the UK won’t run out of gas for heating

By Michael Le Page

1 March 2018

A family wrap up warm

This probably won’t happen

Monty Rakusen/Getty

“The UK is running out of gas,” some headlines screamed this morning. With the country currently in the grip of snow, ice and blizzards, this conjures up visions of the movie The Day After Tomorrow, in which people freeze to death during a cold snap brought about by global warming.

The truth is rather more mundane: high demand for gas means some industrial customers may be forced to use less than they would like, but there is no risk to household heating.

The UK National Grid is forecasting demand of around 400…

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