In a possible scenario that the UK faces gas shortages this winter, gas used by factories could reportedly be diverted to homes and hospitals to keep them warm.

According to The Mail on Sunday, the government and energy bosses are already looking at contingency plans.

If an emergency gas balancing notification (GBN) is issued, factories will be contacted by officials and energy suppliers.

A GBN is normally issued in advance of or during a gas day if a significant supply or demand event is experienced which creates a risk to the physical end-of-day balance.

The last time this alert was issued was in 2018 when the so-called ‘Beast from the East‘ battered the UK with snow, blizzards and sub-zero chill.

A National Grid spokesperson said: “We have a range of tools available to manage any operational requirements throughout the winter period.

“This may include issuing margin notices to encourage market participants to take action should there be a forecast supply or demand imbalance for the coming gas day.”

ELN has contacted BEIS for a response.