Gas consumption down 8.2%

Last year Moldova bought 1.126,3 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia's gas giant Gazprom at an average price of 2,920 lei per thousand cubic meters. Consumption was by 8.2% lower than a year before, but the import price rose by 19%, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the National Agency for Energy Regulation. The average selling price of gas for end-users increased by 10.4%, from 3,187 lei to 3,517 lei per thousand cubic meters. The profit made by SA Moldovagaz from the supply of natural gas rose form 3.603,4 billion lei to 3.622,3 billion lei. The budget-funded institutions and household consumers in 2009 consumed more gas as the number of schools, hospitals and kindergartens connected to the gas main rose. However, consumption at companies decreased as a result of the economic and financial crisis. The companies working in the energy sector accounted for 45.0% of the total consumption.