The Netherlands used 25% less gas in the first half of this year than in 2021, reports Dutch statistics office CBS.

The biggest savings came in industry and power stations, as gas imports via Germany dropped dramatically and imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US and Russia increased.

Using monthly gas figures, the CBS also estimates that households used 16% less gas. The country’s total consumption was 17.6 cubic metres, with particularly high savings in the oil and chemical industries.

The changes are explained by higher energy prices and milder temperatures than in 2021.

Total gas imports rose by 3% and exports fell by 20%, CBS reports, and domestic gas extraction fell by 18%.

Separately, on Tuesday, new figures from the ACM Authority for Consumers and Markets suggested that slightly more than half of households are on a ‘variable’ gas contract, with greater exposure to changes in the gas price. Gas suppliers stopped offering fixed tariff contracts of 12 months or more earlier in the year.