energy crisis

Exclusive: Europe to tell member states to cut gas use as energy crisis looms

The EU’s emergency supply status is to be raised to ‘alert’ as the likelihood of gas shortages this winter increases

A worker surveys the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery plant in Samara, Russia: It is feared that Russia could cut energy supplies to western Europe as winter approaches. Picture: Bloomberg

The European Commission will this week tell member states to start cutting their gas use immediately and will upgrade the EU’s emergency supply status to “alert” as the likelihood of shortages this winter increases, the Business Post can reveal.

A new document will be published this Wednesday, urging member states to “save gas for a safe winter”. It will also say that demand reduction measures should be introduced immediately. Even though Ireland’s gas supply comes ...