Gas consumption in France fell by 12.2% in December compared to the same period in 2018, the country's gas pipeline manager, GRTgaz, told AFP.
This figure, stopped on January 1, evaluates the quantity of gas which would have been consumed if the temperatures had been aligned with the normal seasons, and makes it possible to account for the real changes in behavior of individuals and companies, called every day to the energy sobriety this winter.
In raw data, not corrected for the climate, the drop is 5.5%.
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GRTgaz compares the current consumption figures throughout this season with the winter of 2018/2019, which is the last winter considered "
normal
" since the following three were economically disrupted by the Covid.
During the holiday week between Christmas and New Year's Day, consumption for the whole of France fell by 41.8% compared to the same period in 2018, in data neutralized for climatic effects.
A sharp drop due to the shutdown of many factories.
In reality, the reduction in consumption by users connected to the distribution network and large industrialists is even more marked, because at the same time, gas-fired power stations were running at full speed to compensate for the shutdown of many nuclear reactors for maintenance. or repairs.
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In December, the power plants thus burned 40.5% more gas compared to December 2018. Excluding this electricity production from gas, French consumption fell by 15.5% in December and by 16 .6% between August 1 and January 1.