Natural gas consumption in the EU fell almost 18 per cent in the eight months to March, exceeding the bloc’s target and easing fears of energy shortages caused by massive cuts to Russian imports.
The large drop in gas usage by European households and businesses was aided by a milder winter. But it also reflected energy conservation efforts, the shutdown of some energy-intensive industrial activity and a switch to alternative fuel and power sources following the sharp rise in prices that followed Russia’s full-blown invasion of Ukraine last year.
Compared with the average over the previous five years, gas consumption in the EU fell 17.7 per cent between August and March, according to figures published on Wednesday by Eurostat, the EU statistics agency. It means the EU has outstripped its target to cut gas consumption by 15 per cent over the same period, which was set as part of efforts to deal with the big fall in Russian supplies that had sparked fears of energy rationing and an industrial exodus.