We burn, literally, 500 million euros every day on gas and oil.
EconomyEuropean Union
- Error detected
- The claimed €500 million per day on gas and oil is substantially below the actual daily spending. Eurostat data for 2025 shows EU energy product imports totalled €336.7 billion, equivalent to approximately €923 million per day for all fossil fuels. Even accounting for coal's share, daily oil and gas spending alone would be approximately €780–830 million — 56–66% higher than claimed.
- Omissions
- The MEP did not cite any source for the €500 million figure.
- The €500 million/day figure appears in Commission communications (April 2026) referring to the marginal increase in fossil fuel costs due to the Iran conflict, not baseline spending.
- The claim uses the word 'literally,' yet the actual daily spending on oil and gas in 2025 was nearly double the stated amount.
- The most recent full-year data available (2025) shows total fossil fuel imports at €337 billion, substantially above the annualised €182.5 billion implied by €500 million/day.
- Sources
- PrimaryEurostat — Statistics ExplainedIn 2025, the EU imported €336.7 billion worth of energy products, amounting to 723.3 million tonnes. This equates to approximately €923 million per day (€336.7 billion / 365). The value decreased by 11.1% in 2025 compared with 2024.
- SecondaryCentre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)The EU's overall fossil fuel import bill in 2025 was approximately €337 billion, equivalent to roughly €923 million per day. The average EU citizen spent EUR 880 on fossil fuel imports in 2025.
- SecondaryPOLITICO EuropeEurope is losing nearly €500 million a day as the Middle East conflict drives up fossil fuel costs, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned. This figure refers to the additional cost imposed by the Iran war, not total daily spending on fossil fuels.