2023-08-23 22:01:18
Dutch households and companies consumed 15.7 billion cubic meters of gas in the first half of this year. That is more than a third less than in the same period two years earlier. Compared to last year, there is also a significant decrease: a minus of 13 percent.
Statistics Netherlands does not name a cause, but the high energy bill undoubtedly plays a role. Energy prices were already rising in the autumn of 2021 because Russia increasingly turned off the gas tap. The country continued with that last year.
As a result, energy bills skyrocketed. Households started paying hundreds of euros more per month and turned down the thermostat considerably. Companies also saw their costs rise and decided to consume less.
As a result, gas consumption fell to the lowest point in fifty years last year. If the current trend continues, this year will probably be even lower.
Another factor is that the industry has received fewer orders in recent months. This industry requires a relatively large amount of energy for its production processes.
Liquefied natural gas imports are on the rise
Because Russian gas was no longer available, the Netherlands had to look for alternatives. The Netherlands also focused on liquefied natural gas (LNG), among other things.
Imports of these were therefore 50 percent higher in the first half of the year than one year previously. Incidentally, a small part of this (8 percent) comes from Russia. The largest supplier is the United States (25 percent).
1692847696
#Gas #consumption #plummets #years #Economy