The Russian gas company Gazprom is in financial difficulty due to the fall in gas prices and the huge expense of opening up new gas fields in the frozen north. Gazprom needs EU states' revenues and will not cut off gas to the EU. Unfortunately, the EU pipeline passes through Ukraine, who are losing their Russian gas supplies due to a pricing dispute. Despite assurances, Ukraine have started siphoning off gas intended for the EU and this is where our problems will lie over the winter. Gazprom is looking at building new pipelines that will bypass Ukraine but these are some way off yet. In the meantime, unless we can find an alternative supplier,Britain and the rest of the EU are hostage to the Russia/Ukraine gas dispute. I now wish I hadn't had my solid fuel fire converted to gas recently!