The ongoing situation in Iran, and the corresponding rise in gas prices, throws several spanners in energy and economic planning.

Whilst clearly all our thoughts are with those in the area, the implications to the UK’s energy policy are significant, from the need to progress with non-fossil fuel and renewable alternatives to the increasingly illogical ban on new oil licences in the North Sea (reducing consumption is the answer).

Currently bills, already some of the highest globally, will rise, and Christophe Williams, CEO of British solar thermal innovator Naked Energy, makes the case for bringing that use of gas down as quickly as possible, saying: "Escalation involving Iran is yet another reminder that dependence on gas weakens our energy security. UK wholesale gas prices have risen by around 90 per cent in the past week, and that volatility feeds straight through to businesses and households.”

He adds, "The durable answer is to cut gas demand with renewables and efficiency and to prioritise the biggest gap in the transition: heat. Heat is the world’s largest energy end use, close to half of global final energy consumption and most of it is still fossil fuelled.”

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