A mild winter ahead appears to be the only cost-containment hope left for European consumers following yesterday’s failure by the EU’s 27 energy ministers to reach an agreement on an adjustable gas price cap or some other drastic measure that could ease the pressure of the energy crisis.

Yesterday’s impasse greatly diminishes the possibility of an agreement at the forthcoming EU summit, a two-day meeting scheduled for October 20 and 21.

However, officials will continue making efforts ahead of next week’s EU summit. The European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, reacting to yesterday’s failure by EU energy ministers to reach an agreement, said talks for a solution would carry on over the weekend.

Greece, along with Belgium, Italy and Poland, have been the most supportive of a gas price cap.

German and Dutch resistance appeared to have softened in recent days, seemingly bridging the gap between the EU’s two opposing sides for and against the measure. But German officials, citing an inability for agreement within their own ranks, informed Greek officials that a gas price cap agreement is not on the cards.