Esmaeil Hosseini made the remarks Sunday at a ceremony marking the unveiling and signing of contracts with gas service companies. He said energy is the country’s most important issue and that structural imbalances in supply and demand must be addressed at their root, because such mismatches could create serious and far-reaching problems over time.

Hosseini added that more than 85 percent of the gas delivered to the national distribution network is currently consumed by households, commercial users and small industries, with a significant portion wasted. He said conservation is therefore essential under current conditions.

The Energy Committee spokesman said the commission considers closer attention to energy-efficiency measures a top priority and is closely monitoring the issue.