Russia is to blame for the ongoing energy crisis in Europe, London pinpointed the underlying reason for spiraling gas prices in the autumn – winter 2021/22. CEOs of British energy companies EDF, Good Energy, and Energy UK complain that Russian energy suppliers have driven up wholesale gas prices to 'stratospheric' highs.
The leaders of the national energy market appealed to the government to respond with urgent counter-measures to cushion consumers under extreme circumstances. Local energy bosses insist that the energy sector is in dire straits because Russian suppliers have messed up their contracts in Europe, causing the shortage of fuel. Nigel Pocklington, chief executive of small renewable energy firm Good Energy, said the UK was facing a “national crisis. Wholesale gas and power prices have increased to unprecedented levels over the last three weeks, creating an extremely difficult operating environment for every business in the industry”. Managing Director of EDF Energy Philippe Commaret is on the same page. He defined the situation as “critical” and warned that it will be putting further strain on already rising utility bills. To the credit of the local energy companies, they are making every effort to support consumers and still avoid pumping up their tariffs. Nowadays, they provide energy to households at enormous losses.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin replied to allegations against Russian suppliers. He called such accusations “politically motivated blather” and there was “nothing to support it [the idea] that we use energy as a kind of weapon.” On the contrary, citing Vladimir Putin, Russia is meeting its contractual supply obligations. Moreover, Gazprom already increased its gas supplies to Europe by 15% so far in 2021. He added that oil and gas companies are going through a nightmare because the authorities in the EU countries deprive them of sufficient financial aid.
