THE UK is facing another crisis, this time in energy.

The energy market has been plunged into chaos. In recent weeks the price of gas soared, seeing wholesale prices rise to more than 3 times the prices at the start of the year.

A number of things have caused this crisis including, high demand across the world as economies return to normal following the pandemic, disruptions to the flow of energy into the UK and lower than usual amounts of production from things such as wind.

As well as squeezing energy suppliers, surging gas prices are impacting other areas, hitting everything from farming and food production to steel manufacturing and soft-drink carbonation.

We are reliant on gas supply for more than just heating our homes. The meat supply industry is also a big user of CO2, a product of natural gas, shortages are already leading to empty shelves and soaring prices for consumers.

Many of the UK’s smaller energy supplies are facing bankruptcy. Most of these smaller suppliers have offered lower prices to consumers in order to take customers away from the so-called, big six. As they cease trading their customers are automatically switched to one of the big six suppliers, energy suppliers facing bankruptcy want the government to bail them out.

When this happens customers are placed on the most expensive tariffs available. As usual it will be the consumers who pay the price for yet another crisis. Rising energy bills combined with rising cost of food, rising taxes and poor wages will push many more families into poverty. Meanwhile, energy company executives continue to be paid big bonuses.

The UK is still far too reliant on gas, 86% of homes rely on gas for heating and a third of electricity supply still comes from gas powered power stations. The UK’s own production of gas from the North Sea has reduced, while demand has stayed the same, or increased. Meaning we are more reliant on imports of gas from abroad, our dependence on gas from abroad brings with it it’s own problems.

This crisis must be the warning we need that our continued dependence on fossil fuels needs to end sooner rather than later.

Rather than depending on gas for heating homes and a large amount of our electricity, we need to transition to greener renewable alternatives, which are sustainable for the future.

The problems the UK has faced recently with supply of petrol, should also be the warning we need to move towards electric vehicles.

We do, however, run the danger of not being able to keep up with demand for electricity unless mass investment comes in green energy production.

Energy should be renationalised so that we can properly invest in the green energy production and infrastructure we need.

If we are serious about a green future, the work needs to start now.