NOS News•
In 2022, the Netherlands will use a quarter less gas than the year before. Households and large industrial companies in particular reduced their gas consumption, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reports. A total of 31 billion cubic meters of gas was used, the lowest amount since 1972.
Industrial companies are normally large consumers of natural gas. They used more than a quarter less last year than a year earlier. This decline was strongest among companies in the petroleum and chemical industries. Power stations consumed 12 percent less natural gas.
Less gas, still growth
The strong turnaround among large users is due to the high gas prices. According to Peter Hein van Mulligen, chief economist at CBS, the industry has made a virtue of necessity. “Factories were partly closed because energy was too expensive. But the industry has managed to grow. They were able to produce more with less gas consumption.”
Another sector that played a role in the drop in consumption is greenhouse horticulture. Greenhouse horticulture companies that generated their own electricity with a gas engine consumed more than 30 percent less natural gas.
Shorter shower
Not only companies have made savings, households also consumed a quarter less gas last year compared to 2021. This decrease was also mainly stimulated by the sharply higher gas prices. “Households have turned the knobs, for example by taking shorter showers,” says Van Mulligen.
Part of the decrease in gas consumption is due to the warmer weather last year. About 10 percent of the savings are related to this, according to Statistics Netherlands. Corrected for the higher temperatures, consumption was 15 percent lower than in 2021.
In the meantime, the Netherlands has managed to significantly replenish its gas supplies compared to 2021. This is mainly due to the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
