According to the Office for Macroeconomic Analysis and Development of Slovenia (UMAR), natural gas consumption in August was reduced by 14 % and in September by 11 % compared to the average consumption in the past five years.
It is expected that gas consumption in October will be even lower, while UMAR connects the reduction with the increase in gas prices due to the energy crisis, with the reduction of consumption primarily in the industry. It is recalled that the EU mandated that, from 1 August of this year until 31 March 2023, member states reduce gas consumption by 15 % compared to the five-year average, and estimates that Slovenia has already achieved savings of 14.8 %.
UMAR also states that electricity consumption in Slovenia last month was 4.4 % lower than in September of last year, and that the main reason is the reduction of production in some energy- intensive companies due to high electricity prices. It is specified that industry in Slovenia reduced electricity consumption by 5.1 %, while households saved 3.9 % of electricity in September .
Estimates of the economy’s results by the end of the year were further worsened in September, with worse export expectations, as most surveyed companies expect a drop in production by the end of the year, UMAR announced.
