UK rules out oil, gas rationing
The UK government has ruled out rationing natural gas amid the risk of a disruption in Russian supply to Europe, even as Austria and Germany take steps in this direction.
The UK only receives around 4% of its gas from Russia. But a cut in deliveries to European countries more dependent on Russian imports would have a knock-on effect across the region, potentially resulting in shortages in the UK.
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UK transport secretary Grant Shapps said on local television that Russia's invasion of Ukraine had been a "massive wake-up call" for Western nations about their overdependence on imported oil and gas. However, he said the UK would not follow in the footsteps of other countries such as Austria and Germany, which have triggered emergency plans in response to the risk of a disruption in Russian supply. Germany gets about half of its gas from Russia, while Austria gets 80%.
Austria and Germany have entered the "early warning phase" in their emergency plans, which is the first of three stages designed to prepare them for supply shortages. Only in the final stage would they implement rationing, although they have encouraged consumers to cut their gas use where possible.
The immediate threat to Russian gas supply passed on March 31, when the Kremlin issued a decree permitting buyers in "unfriendly" countries to continue making payments in euros and other foreign currencies, rather than requiring them to switch to rubles. Earlier, Putin had indicated that they would have to pay in rubles or risk getting their supply cut off.