The cost of gas and electricity in the UK is at an eye-watering level, despite the fact that Britain imports very little energy from Russia. This is because both the UK and its major gas supplier Norway, are part of the open market, meaning that prices in the rest of Europe affect the UK. Britain is connected to Norway via a 450-mile interconnector that joins Blyth, Northumberland to Kvilldal power station through cables that run through the North Sea.
This power station, which is Norway’s largest hydroelectric plant, is crucial to the National Grid’s ability to keep the lights on in the UK when domestic electricity generation is low.
Norway is responsible for over 60 percent of the total gas demand, being the single biggest supplier of gas to the UK.
However, this link is now under threat as politicians in Norway face pressure on account of soaring energy prices.
Oslo generates nearly all of its electricity through hydropower, thanks to its abundance of mountain plateaus, natural lakes and fjords.
Furthermore, Norway is also facing low water reservoir levels, following a dry spell during spring and summer, meaning its hydroelectric power plants have low supplies.
Mr Frisch told the Telegraph “This is not something you can just fill up at will.
“When they run dry, they run dry, and it’s likely to take a minimum of three months, possibly six months, before they can be refilled by rain.
This has led to Olso’s government facing pressure from campaigners, calling on Norway to cut itself off from Europe.
In a 600,000-strong Facebook group named Vi som krever billigere strøm (meaning “we who demand cheaper electricity”), users have expressed outrage over a “price contagion” that has spread from Britain and Germany, and demanded that Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre take action.
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