Natural gas has been an important fossil fuel source for many years, but Britain's reliance on gas is set to increase even further in the coming years, according to industry commentators. More environmentally friendly than the alternatives of coal and oil, gas could be said to represent a transition between the old fossil fuels of yesterday and the sustainable energy of tomorrow - the difference being that resources are finite, and supplies have frequently suffered from shortages that led to higher energy prices for homes and businesses.

Even if renewable energy such as solar power and geothermal energy may be the endgame, natural gas is still an important stepping stone for the UK and the rest of the Western world in working towards adoption of these green technologies. It offers a less drastic solution than switching to experimental energy sources overnight.

Following its commitment to reduce carbon emissions by half by 2025 (and 80 per cent by 2050), the UK government will oversee a number of projects aimed at making the most of natural gas - a resource that is now evidently more abundant than was previously feared, due to discoveries of new reserves in the United States that will drastically cut global prices.

Britain's own domestic gas reserves have been declining since 2000, and the country now relies more on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imported from politically sensitive regions such as Qatar in the Middle East. Nevertheless, speculation over untapped gas reserves in countries such as Cyprus and Israel could spell a brighter future for the UK's gas imports, and an end to rising prices for consumers.

Gas is an important utility throughout the year, but is especially useful in the winter months when homes and commercial premises rely more on their heating and hot water systems. The announcement of more natural gas reserves being discovered and action being taken to improve the UK's sustainable gas supplies was warmly met by consumers, who have been footing the bill as wholesale prices for gas and electricity increased in the last few years.

Construction of new gas plants to provide this fuel source to premises throughout the UK will be cheaper and faster to accomplish than building nuclear or coal plants, which should be good news for gas suppliers and customers alike. Currently, natural gas accounts for around 45 per cent of electricity generation in the country, and this figure is projected to increase over the next decade.

Fiona Roy writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.