EU energy ministers are set to discuss the escalating energy crisis, prompting fears that the UK could see gas and electricity supplies cut off because of Brexit.
If shortages worsen, EU governments can curb sales of natural gas and power to third countries.
SNP MP Angus MacNeil reacted to the news, suggesting the EU talks will affect the UK as a “third country” post-Brexit.
Emergency EU meeting in Luxembourg amid price hikes for Brits
At an emergency meeting in Luxembourg today, European Union ministers will discuss what solutions are available to protect EU citizens and companies from energy price hikes.
Most countries are using tax cuts, subsidies and other national-level measures to protect consumers against the impact of higher gas prices on energy bills, Reuters reported.
But UK energy suppliers announced in August that they would raise the prices for gas and electricity to the highest level allowed by Ofgem, Britain’s energy regulator.
This means millions of British homes are facing some of the highest energy bills for the past decade, according to The Guardian.
UK is ‘net importer’ of energy
A 2018 government research briefing on energy admits the UK became a net importer in 2004, and that the gap between the amount it imports and the amount it exports has been increasing ever since.
It also admitted Britain has been experiencing higher and higher fuel prices and “increased concern over the security of energy supply”.
But that did not prevent UK ministers to push on with Brexit threats to EU countries.
Earlier this month, UK ministers said they ‘would never trust France again’ if they cut Britain’s power in response to a row over fishing permits for Jersey.
Britain’s attack on France
At the time, France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune accused Britain of not keeping its promises as signed under the Brexit deal.
He told Europe 1 radio: “Enough already, we have an agreement negotiated by France, by Michel Barnier, and it should be applied 100 per cent. It isn’t being.
“In the next few days, and I talked to my European counterparts on this subject yesterday, we will take measures at the European level or nationally, to apply pressure on the United Kingdom.”
He added: “We defend our interests. We do it nicely, and diplomatically, but when that doesn’t work, we take measures.
“For example, we can imagine, since we’re talking about energy… the United Kingdom depends on our energy supplies.
“It thinks that it can live all alone, and bash Europe.”
But a Cabinet minister told Mail Online that if France cut the UK off its power supplies, Britain would “just never use them again”.
“Why would you ever go back to a provider who did that? Trust would be gone. They would be damaging themselves in the long-term,” the minister added.
Related: Law professor warns UK of ‘serious suffering’ from Johnson’s hard Brexit