Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 7 /Trend, A.Yusifzade /
Iran's natural gas consumption increased by 240 million cubic meters to 3.6 billion cubic meters during the current Iranian calendar week ending Feb. 4 compared to the same period of the previous year, Shana reported.
Iran's gas consumption averaged 513 million cubic meters a day in this period.
Earlier last month, Iran said its gas consumption had dropped by more than 20 million cubic meters a day since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government cut price subsidies.
Officials have previously said Iran consumes around 500 million cubic meters during peak times of the year. The National Iranian Gas Company's managing director, Javad Oji, urged Iranians to save energy, adding that about 30 percent of the gas consumed in households was being wasted, Mehr reported.
Iran has the world's second-largest natural gas reserves after Russia, but the U.S. and UN sanctions deterring investment by western firms with expertise and technology have slowed its development as a major exporter. Energy officials have said gas production in Iran stands at 600 million cubic meters a day.