EU gas demand drops over 19% in last six months

EU natural gas consumption was down 19.3% between last August and January this year compared with the average for the same six-month period between 2017 and 2022, data from Eurostat shows.

That means that the drop in demand surpassed the 15% target set by Brussels as part of its REPowerEU plan to end reliance on Russian energy. On one end of the spectrum was Ireland, which used 0.3% less gas, while on the other, Finland, Lithuania and Sweden cut consumption by 57.3%, 47.9% and 40.2% respectively.

The decline in consumption accelerated over the course of most of the six-month period, with demand down 14% in August, 14.3% in September, 24.7% in October and 25% in November versus the five-year average, Eurostat data showed. 

Thierry Bros, energy expert and professor at Po Paris, attributed the lower consumption over the period to warmer weather, demand reduction and industrial demand destruction. He also cited EU regulation introduced in August to push consumers to save gas for winter.

"But this cannot be replicated in the coming years," he told NGW. "Brussels will have to understand that more gas is needed not less if we are to achieve CO2 emissions reductions."