(CIANEWS) - Gas consumption in the Czech Republic fell by 18 % y/y in the 8 months of 2022. This was announced by the Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela (for STAN), who stated that this represents the lowest gas consumption since 2016. He added that the Czech Republic currently has 3.52 billion m3 of gas in its reserves, which is more than 89 % of their capacity. Pipeline gas flows into the country from Norway, and liquefied gas from the Netherlands and Belgium. The minister also said that a call was issued for companies with an allocation of CZK 10bn to help invest in cost-saving measures and increase energy efficiency. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic is also preparing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises, especially for companies that use gas as a basic means of production. The subject of discussions will also be the possibility of capping electricity prices. The price ceiling of this commodity is not yet limited for households or companies.