Britain may face lower gas stockpiles this winter after Centrica, the owner of British Gas, signalled it would sell stored gas from its Rough North Sea storage facility to stem mounting losses. The company reported that the site lost £26 million in the first half of 2025, a sharp reversal from a £53 million profit a year earlier.
Centrica's overall profits halved to around £500 million in the first six months of 2025, driven by mild weather and falling wholesale energy prices. Chief executive Chris O'Shea said the financial losses from Rough were unsustainable, and the company would aim to sell existing gas without restocking before winter unless government support is secured.
O'Shea also criticised rival Octopus Energy for reportedly failing to meet Ofgem's financial resilience targets, calling it 'outrageous' and 'criminal' that the regulator had not prevented Octopus from acquiring new customers. Octopus hit back, accusing British Gas of 'naked self-interest' and urging it to focus on customers rather than rivals.
Centrica reopened Rough in late 2022 during Europe's energy crisis, but cooling gas prices have since made the facility a financial burden. O'Shea said he did not expect a swift government response but noted that gas could still be injected for winter if a resolution is found.
