“Gas storage is critical to secure our continued energy supply and help protect the UK’s economy.

EUA has been urging the Government to invest in more gas storage, even making our case directly to Michael Fallon MP when he was Energy Minister. It is rather ironic that now in his position as Defence Secretary he is warning of the threat posed by Russia, even suggesting the Russian leader is "as great a threat to Europe as Islamic State.

More gas storage protects us as a nation. It helps bring stability, protects consumers from sudden price spikes, keeps the lights on, our factories running and prices down, while at the same time creating hundreds of new jobs. For the sake of less than £1 a year, households can be better protected from the risk of the UK running short of gas.

Businesses, especially energy intensive users, would be less likely to be told to stop production if the UK doubled its current gas storage capacity retaining investment in the UK. Without it high-energy users could choose to leave the UK in search of cheaper gas in places like the US, seriously affecting our competitiveness.

Saying no to more storage is a huge gamble, the argument to invest is now about more than protecting us against cold weather is has become one of national security. We need to secure our energy supplies at levels closer to our European neighbours and not take wholly unnecessary and expensive risks.”