Petrol usage drops

By Phil Boeyen, ShareChat Business News Editor

Wednesday 22nd August 2001

New Zealanders are using less petrol according to latest figures.

In recent years petrol consumption has been growing at around 1.8% a year but Ministry of Economic Development statistics show that overall consumption fell by 2.4% in the year to March .

The fall came mainly from a drop nearly 13% in premium petrol consumption, which accounts for about one-quarter of all petrol sales. Consumption of regular petrol rose by just over 1%.

Energy Minister Pete Hodgson says higher prices during the year undoubtedly contributed to the reduction.

"Petrol use is typically unresponsive to price increases, but this shows the savings possible when people decide to be more careful about how much they use their vehicles."

Consumption of other liquid fuels increased - diesel by 2%, fuel oil by 11%, LPG by 15% and aviation fuel by 30%. This meant overall consumption of oil products rose by 1.1%.

"A major issue for New Zealand and other developed countries in limiting greenhouse gas emissions is how to constrain growth in liquid fuel use. The moderation in our use of petrol is encouraging, although the continued growth in the use of oil products overall shows the magnitude of the challenge we face," says Mr Hodgson.

Other figures from the just published Energy Data File show that in the year to March 2001 net crude oil imports by volume increased by 5%, while New Zealand's production of crude oil and related products decreased by 8%. New Zealand's self-sufficiency in oil declined to 34% from 37% the preceding year.

During the period coal production increased by 11% to 3.8 million tonnes and New Zealand gas production by volume rose by 5%, with 77% coming from the Maui field. About 42% was used for petrochemical production, 44% for electricity generation and 14% for commercial and domestic purposes.

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