Tories warn Britain low on gas

LONDON, March 6 (UPI) -- Tories in Britain warned the country had a little over four days worth of gas in reserve, putting the nation at risk of supply disruptions.

Government ministers, in turn, accused the Tories of scaremongering, the Telegraph reported Friday.

Shadow Energy Secretary Greg Clark said, "Britain is facing the prospect of a severe gas shortage and possible interruptions to supply if we were to have a cold snap or disruptions to imports before the winter is over."

"It is only the fact of reduced demand due to the recession that has prevented this situation from becoming an emergency," he said.

Britain's reserves, when full, hold about a 15-day supply. The current supply would last for 4.1 days, the National Grid reported.

The government countered the country's supply includes various sources, making a supply disruption unlikely, the newspaper said.

"We get most of our gas from the North Sea and imports from Norway, so we have less need for dedicated storage in comparison to other countries, which are more heavily dependent on imports," Energy Minister Mike O'Brien said.