Dutch households and companies used 10 percent less natural gas in the first six months of this year than in the same period last year. It reports that Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Thursday based on new figures on gas consumption. In total, 15.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas was used in the first half of 2023. Last year there was also a decrease: in 2022, the Dutch used a quarter less natural gas than in the previous year, the lowest level since 1972.
The industry reduced its gas consumption considerably in the first months of this year, by 13 percent. Consumption by the chemical industry was 18 percent lower than in the same period last year. The paper industry even managed to save 34 percent. In addition, households also made significant savings: gas consumption by this group fell by 13 percent.
Soft winter
The decrease in gas consumption can partly be explained by the fact that last winter was milder than the previous one, says Luuk Hovius, statistical researcher at Statistics Netherlands. The weather has a particular influence on the gas consumption of households: if they have to run the heating less often, gas consumption will decrease.
But even corrected for the temperature, natural gas consumption was lower, says Hovius. This is mainly due to a change in behaviour, both from households that pay close attention to their gas bills and from industry. Due to the enormous increase in gas prices last year, many industrial companies have started to organize their activities differently, especially because this sector needs a lot of energy. Some companies have temporarily halted production because it was not profitable to produce at the high prices, many others have switched to other energy sources. As far as the production process allows, they now use a mix of gas and electricity, for example, explains Hovius. “As a result, the gas portion becomes smaller.”
That the market price of natural gas fell and the first half of 2023 was below the price of 2022, according to Hovius probably had no influence on gas consumption. This is because there is a delay between the market price and the price that consumers and companies pay. “For both industry and households, they are often bound by a contract. Even at a lower market price, they still pay the higher rate.”
Fuller gas storages
The lower gas consumption also provided the opportunity to further fill the gas storage facilities. Inventories were higher in the first half of 2023 than in the past four years. In June the gas storages were 78 percent full, well above the desired filling level. Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) also increased again, by almost 50 percent compared to last year. Imports of natural gas in gaseous form fell.