A prolonged cold spell in early 2013 drove up consumption of natural gas in Germany in the first quarter of the year offsetting a weak economy, the country's main energy lobby group said Monday.

In the first three months of the year, natural gas consumption increased by around 5% on the year as cold weather forced households and businesses to turn up heating through the end of March, the industry group BDEW said in a written statement.

Electricity consumption, however, declined by around 1% on the year in light of a ailing European economy, the BDEW added.

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