Data for 2013 from the Portuguese Association of Oil Companies show that the Portuguese spent less on petrol and diesel last year due to many giving up their vehicles, driving in a fuel-efficient manner, and fewer miles being driven as there are fewer drivers commuting as there are fewer jobs to commute to and from.
The 2013 sales figures show that in addition to private fuel consumers opting for fewer journeys, the commercial transport industry’s consumption dropped as the consumer slowdown affected deliveries of goods to the nation’s retailers.
The exception to this general trend was the surprising increase in LPG consumption which rose by 48.5%.
When compared to 2012, itself a poor year for the oil companies, diesel consumption dropped 2.3% and petrol by 3.3%.
"We hope for a recovery in 2014, albeit a tenuous one," commented the secretary general of APETRO, looking forward to a flat or declining market in 2014.
