Energy consumption falls

According to the official data published by INSAT, the electric power consumption for the first six months of the year has reduced with 37.8% compared to the same period of one year ago. This is the second time in the last five years when the energy consumption falls for businesses.

The first time was in 2009, when the economy received the first hit from the crisis. On the same year, he energy consumption fell with 6.5%, but for the first six months of this year it is six times higher.

The numbers show that during the first months of this year, the business has consumed less power than even in 2007, when Albania was suffering an energy crisis. The energy consumption is one of the main indicators that are often used for measuring the economic situation. The strong decline is a signal that warns that 2012 will be a very difficult year for economy.

Business: Crisis indicator

Stefan Pinguli, one of the biggest beer producers in Albania says that there are two causes why business has reduced energy consumption, and both are related with the difficult economic situation.

“Another cause is that some businesses have closed their activities. Another is related with the fact that some businesses are saving power to reduce costs”, Pinguli declared.

Pajtim Bello, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Energy and Industry declared that the consumption reduction directly reflects the decline of some economic sectors. In the first trimester of the year, the economy growth fell with 0.2% compared to the same period of one year ago, due to the crisis of the construction sector.

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