The BBC is comparing apples and koalas. They need to compare the total energy used in the production and use of fiat currency to the total energy used in the entire Bitcoin system rather than comparing it with countries . It is as irrelavent as the fact that Bitcoin used as much electricity last year as the christmas lights in the USA . The growth of consumption of electricity by BTC is a sign of the growing strength and use of BTC . A lowering of demand for BTC would reflect in a lower use of electricity less demand = less consumption.