Use of renewables growing in Europe’s services sector – Eurostat

Luxembourg, 24 September 2024

In 2022, renewables overtook both heat and oil and petroleum products in final consumption by the services sector in the EU for the first time.

Renewables and biofuels represented 8.0% of the final energy consumption, ahead of heat at 7.6%, and oil and petroleum products at 6.3%. In 2021, renewables and biofuels accounted for 7.3%, trailing both heat (7.6%) and oil and petroleum products (8.3%).

Electricity (50.6%) and natural gas (26.9%) meanwhile continued to make up more than three-quarters of the final energy consumption of the services sector.

Source dataset: nrg_bal_s

Retail trade largest sub-sector 

In 2022, the largest sub-sector in services in the EU was wholesale and retail trade, with a final energy consumption of 896 petajoules (PJ), or 21.1% of all final consumption by services. Retail trade activity alone accounted for 582 PJ (13.7%) in the sub-sector.

The wholesale and retail trade sub-sector was followed by professional, scientific, technical activities and other services with a consumption of 476 PJ (11.2%), accommodation and food service activities with 463 PJ (10.9%), and human health and social work activities with 448 PJ (10.6%).

Source dataset: nrg_d_serq_n