It could have been so different.

Instead of a British Prime Minister grappling with the prospect of spending £100bn or more to subsidise energy bills, to prevent a collapse of businesses and household incomes, the UK could now have had a source of cheap, reliable fuel, obtained from under our feet, right here in North Yorkshire.

Such is the view of Lorraine Allanson, who rose to prominence as founder of the FORGE: Friends of Ryedale Gas Exploration and recalls the experience in her recently-published book ‘My Story.’

Her activism led to abuse from opponents, who persuaded a Conservative government to ban fracking in 2019, believing it caused earthquakes, a move the newly elected Liz Truss is predicted to overturn today (Thursday).

Whilst Lorraine feels ‘vindicated’ by recent events, she too is a victim of the current energy-related cost of living crisis, with the energy bill on her B&B operation near Pickering set to increase four-fold, an extra £1000 a month.

Lorraine recently posted on social media: “The future is very bleak. Every business connected to tourism and leisure will be severely negatively impacted due to the cost-of-living crisis. Who will afford to take holidays next year or even a drink or meal out?”

She added: “All this could have been avoided if only we had policy makers who understood the need for reliable, affordable and plentiful energy to build a successful economy and ultimately support our modern way of life. Instead, we are now regressing back to the dark ages. It’s all so tragic and avoidable, does anyone have a brain cell that makes these crucial decisions about energy supply and security?”

For Lorraine, the source of the crisis stems from way before Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine exposed a Europe dependent on Russian gas, which helped send bills skyrocketing.

Indeed, she recalls a social media post of former Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg in 2010, where he said he saw no need for new power stations as they wouldn’t be ready until 2021! Another clip on social media shows current leader Ed Davey, a former Secretary of State for Energy, on Channel 4 News taking credit for stopping fracking.

“When you can't afford to heat your home this winter, think of Ed!” she quips.

But the blunt Yorkshirewoman has tackled Tories too, as well as speaking on the issue at other events.

In March, she told a Conservative Party springtime conference that 20,000 people die of the cold every year, a number set to worsen under the energy crisis.

She further tells the Press: “Fuel poverty is now a huge concern. Many people were already on the breadline prior to the energy crisis, how will these people afford higher bills? They cannot. 

"With fuel poverty comes higher illness and death rates. People cannot afford to keep warm and are open to chest infections, strokes & mental health issues.”

Lorraine also told the Tories that there was “a rich treasure trove” under our feet and extracting the shale gas would help ‘level up’ the country and create skilled jobs in engineering and other sectors, instead of industries that rely on energy fleeing overseas.

Whilst Liz Truss has said she supports fracking where locals agree to it, Lorraine says such people should receive a discount off their bills where this happens.

In Ryedale, the area was ‘inundated’ with campaigners from outside the area, campaigners backed by global groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. They were able to use their numbers to claim local support and "steal the narrative with a cocktail of misinformation and scare stories.”

The UK Treasury says one northern energy firm says it can start delivering shale gas in a year. Had Britain not banned fracking in 2019, supplies would be plentiful now.

Lorraine continued: “The more self-sufficient the UK is, the less we have to send £billions abroad buying something we can extract from under our feet.  The shortest route using our own shale gas is far better for the environment, UK energy security and our treasury.

“Imports do not create jobs, business opportunities and tax revenue for our government. Instead, the money goes to help fund wars by despots, we effectively have blood on our hands just so we can virtue signal that we have lowered our CO2 emissions. Imported goods' emissions are not counted in the UK.”

She added: “Putin calls the anti-fracking protesters his useful idiots. He isn't wrong, they have certainly helped bring Europe to its knees.”

*This is the first of a series of articles looking at the causes and solutions of the energy crisis, featuring a variety of viewpoints and perspectives.