Fracking could return to Lancashire amid Russia-Ukraine crisis
Russia supply 10% of the UK's energy
Last updated 23rd Feb 2022
Fracking could have to restart in Lancashire as a consequence of the ongoing situation in Russia and Ukraine.
With Russia being a supplier of gas and energy for the region, there are worries that sanctions could further increase the cost of our bills.
The extraction of shale gas near Blackpool was stopped a couple of years ago after a series of earth tremors, but a group of MPs now say it could be the answer to making our bills more affordable.
South Blackpool MP Scott Benton has told Hits Radio Lancashire that he does support fracking, in order to reduce the massive energy costs, but says we've tried to frack on the Fylde Coast and it didn't work.
Scott Benton said: "We've looked at Preston New Road and that is clearly unviable, but as a society we do need to look at finding ways to bring people's energy bills down and fracking is one of the ways which to do that.
"If there are sites elsewhere within the country which can be opened for fracking, and that would lead to people paying less for their energy bills, I would support that."
UK receives 10% of its energy supply from Russia
Oil and gas company Cuadrilla were calling for a change to regulations that meant they had to stop the extraction when a tremor measured more than 0.5 on the Richter scale.
The UK receives about 10% of it's supply from Russia, it's feared sanctions could put that in jeopardy.
Scott Benton MP says the current issues with Russia, could affect the UKs gas supply and further increase prices.
"We're in a position in a moment where people are potentially going to see their fuel bills rise by £600 a year", said the Blackpool MP.
"I know how concerning that is for families. That is a consequence of Governments, both Conservative and Labour, having failed.
"The facts of the matter are that we cannot afford to rely on foreign sources of energy, not the least looking at what's happening in Ukraine and Russia at the moment, which is where we get a lot of our supply of energy from.
"Looking forward the emphasis has to be on finding our own new sources of energy. Some of that may be North Sea oil exploration, but other parts of it may be different, new technologies, such as fracking."
Increasing UK fossil fuel extraction will have very little impact on bills
The Government's advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned those "advocating a new oil and gas bonanza in the UK" that high oil and gas prices are driven by global markets and increasing UK fossil fuel extraction would have virtually no impact on bills.
The CCC also said granting new licences for exploration was not likely to lead to production for several decades, by which time the UK needs to have slashed its use of oil and gas significantly to meet its climate targets.
The best approach to reducing consumers' exposure to volatile prices is to cut demand for fossil fuels, through home insulation, heat pumps, electric vehicles and developing more wind and solar power, the advisory committee urged.
The CCC pointed to estimates that showed if David Cameron's promise to "cut the green crap" had not reduced energy efficiency improvement rates from 2012, and plans to make homes greener in 2016 had not been halted, people's bills would be £40 less than they will be in April.
And if the Government's target to have 40 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 were in place today, it would save a further £100 off bills.