Press TV - Iran says the value of energy consumed nationally stands at as high as $136 billion per year, adding that this is four times higher than the average global standards.��

The announcement was made by Abdolsamad Arjmand, the director for power transmission and distribution affairs of Iran�s Energy Ministry.

Arjmand emphasized that Iran would need to address its runaway energy consumption to move better toward economic development.

This, he said, would save huge amounts of national wealth that could be otherwise used in vital sectors such as development, health, welfare and others.

Arjmand further emphasized that Iran was suffering from a shortage of energy, stressing that the nation should try to reduce energy consumption � specifically during summers when consumption surges.

Iran uses natural gas and oil to produce energy. However, a significant amount of energy is wasted through the process of production and transmission as a result of dilapidated infrastructure.

Figures previously released by media showed that around 20 percent of electricity produced at power plants is wasted before reaching consumers. This is more than two times the electricity waste rate in Europe.

Also, the annual consumption level in the urban sector in Iran is around 500 kilowatt per hour for each square meter. This is this is more than three times the level consumed in urban sector in Europe.