Gas consumption in France fell 12.2% in December compared to the same period in 2018, the country’s gas pipeline administrator GRTgaz told AFP.
This figure, stopped on January 1, evaluates the amount of gas that would have been consumed if the temperatures had aligned with the normal ones for the seasons, and makes it possible to account for the real changes in the behavior of people and companies, called every day to energetic sobriety this winter. In raw data, not corrected for weather, the drop is 5.5%.
GRTgaz compares the current consumption figures throughout this season with the winter of 2018/2019, which is the last winter considered “normal” since the next three were economically disrupted by Covid.
41.8% drop between Christmas and New Year
During the holiday week between Christmas and New Year, consumption across France fell by 41.8% compared to the same period in 2018, in data neutralized for weather effects. A sharp drop due to the closure of many factories.
In reality, the reduction in consumption by users connected to the distribution network and by large industrial companies is even more pronounced, because at the same time, gas-fired power plants were operating at full capacity to compensate for the shutdown of many nuclear reactors due to maintenance. or repairs. In December, the plants burned 40.5% more gas compared to December 2018.
Excluding this gas-fired electricity production, French consumption fell 15.5% in December and 16.6% between August 1 and January 1.
Source: BFM TV
