Belgian households and businesses have sharply reduced their energy consumption relative to previous years, consumption analysis shows.
According to a report by Brussels-based energy operator Elia, Belgians' total electricity consumption this October was 9.6% lower than their average October consumption over the past five years.
Even taking into account the unseasonably warm weather last month, Elia noted that the decline in energy use was still significant.
"Part of this decrease is certainly due to the good weather conditions," Marleen Vanhecke, Elia's spokeswoman, told Le Soir. "But even if when we control [for these factors], we still arrive at a decrease of about 6%. It is reasonable to put this down to voluntary decreases in consumption by households and companies."
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According to Elia, the chief cause of the decrease in energy use is sky-high energy prices: the cost of electricity is now 85% higher than it was this time last year.
Ealier this week, local media reported that Belgian households' energy consumption had fallen 28% relative to previous years; the latest study from Elia, however, includes in its analysis the decline in energy use from both households and businesses.
Promisingly, the latest figures suggest that Belgium could succeed in meeting the EU's recently announced target of decreasing overall electricity demand by 10% until the end of March 2023.
