EU says countries have cut gas use by just 5%, deeper savings needed

European Union countries have only reduced their combined gas demand by 5% despite dwindling supplies from Russia and months of soaring prices, the European Commission said on Wednesday, as it put forward plans to trigger deeper gas savings.

"EU level savings so far have been equal for 5% and this is clearly not enough. So we have to start, coordinate, savings programmes right now, if we don't want to face the worst case scenario in the middle of the winter," EU energy policy chief Kadri Simson told a news conference.