Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho acknowledged on Monday that consumption may have started to decline since August, as fuel prices increased.

The clarification came after the minister had earlier said that consumption of diesel, petrol and jet fuel was continuing to rise compared with the same period last year.

However, the official figures she was referring to only cover the period up to July.

Data from the National Entity for the Energy Sector (ENSE) show that in July petrol consumption was still 4.32% higher than a year earlier, while diesel consumption had increased by 2.21%. Jet fuel was up by 1.12%.

Speaking later to Renascença, Maria da Graça Carvalho admitted that the situation may have changed since then, with higher prices beginning to affect how much fuel people are using.

RTP also reported on Monday that more recent data point towards a reduction in fuel consumption.

The minister has appealed to consumers to save fuel and said that any government support introduced in response to higher energy costs should be directed towards those who need it most.

The rising cost of fuel is also putting pressure on businesses heavily dependent on road transport, with transport operators warning that the increases are becoming increasingly difficult to absorb.