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EU shows record-low energy use amid efficiency gains and renewables surge

New data reveal how Europe's energy consumption habits are changing.
New data reveal how Europe's energy consumption habits are changing. Copyright  Euronews
Copyright Euronews
By Thomas Blade & Maud Zaba
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The EU's gross available energy fell by 4.1% in 2023, but Europe is now doing more with less. Renewables now supply 19.5% of energy, with Nordic countries leading the transition.

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Total energy in the EU, what Eurostat calls gross available energy, fell by 4.1 % in 2023, the equivalent of about 380 million barrels of oil, marking a record low.

Long-running efficiency policies have reduced waste across all sectors, while milder winters have decreased heating demand. The spike in fossil fuel prices caused by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has prompted additional conservation efforts.

Put simply, Europe is managing to do more with less.

The EU is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels (67%), but renewables now supply 19.5% of all energy in the EU, up 31% since 2013 and just one percentage point shy of natural gas.

Nordic countries, such as Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, lead the green transition, with renewables accounting for 40–50% of their energy mix.

Poland and the Czech Republic remain coal-reliant, with solid fuels still supplying roughly a third of their demand.

Energy imports and consumption trends

The EU only produces about 40% of the energy it consumes.

Domestic primary production is down nearly 20% since 2013. Almost all of its oil (95%) and gas (90%) must be shipped or piped in.

This leaves EU energy dependency at 58.4%, down from the 2022 record, but still higher than the average of the 2010s.

Norway (not an EU member), the United States, Algeria, Qatar and a reduced flow from Russia remain the primary sources of oil and gas.

Examining the breakdown of energy consumption, transportation is the largest consumer, accounting for 32% of demand.

Households follow with 26.3%, while industry absorbs 24.6%. Services and agriculture together use 9.1%, and the remaining 8% is directed to non-energy purposes such as feedstocks and lubricants.

Transport's dominance has grown over the past three decades, primarily due to an increase in cars on the road and a thriving aviation industry.

Road-fuel demand rebounded between 2021 and 2023 but is still below its 2019 peak, and international aviation remains 8% shy of pre-COVID levels.

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