Dashboard for monitoring gas consumption in France

This dashboard shows gross gas consumption, as well as climate-adjusted consumption so as to provide better insights into the efforts to which end consumers are going to use less gas. The benchmark chosen to compare gas consumption in France is winter 2018-2019. This winter predates the pandemic, saw seasonally average temperatures and did not include any particular cold snaps.

Since 1 August 2022, gas consumption in France as of 11 December 2022 has fallen by 12.4% relative to the same period in 2018.

Adjusted for climate, this equates to a 10.5% drop.

This can be explained by manufacturers connected up to the gas transmission network using less (22.1% less), and clients connected to distribution networks also using less gas (14.1% less). This is offset by an increase in the consumption of electricity generated by gas-fired power plants, which have had to work hard to compensate for lower levels of availability across France's nuclear facilities (43.5% increase: the gas system is fully engaged in balancing the French power system).

• Climate – since August this year, temperatures have been significantly higher than their seasonal norms, which has helped to reduce gross consumption (this year's October was the warmest ever recorded by Météo France). This accounts for a fall of just under 2% in gross consumption).

• People using less gas, which has cut climate-adjusted end consumption (namely excluding electricity generation) by 17.1% since 1 August 2022 relative to the same period in 2018. This includes all consumer categories – residential, tertiary and industrial – and is evidence of a change in consumer behaviour. Growing collective awareness is causing users to reduce their non-essential gas consumption (they are electing to use less). Furthermore, high energy prices are encouraging consumers – particularly those not covered by an energy price cap – to reduce their gas consumption (they are being forced to use less), and some manufacturers have even had to temporarily shut down their production units. 

• Support for electricity production, which increases climate-adjusted gas consumption in France by 6.6% through high demand placed on gas-fired power plants. 
   

22.1% fall in manufacturers' gas consumption since 1 August 2022

The sectors that have played the largest role in reducing consumption between 1 August and 11 December 2022 are chemicals (25% fall), refining / petrochemicals (33% fall), agri-food (17% fall) and metallurgy (27% fall). 

Change in gross gas consumption for industrial clients connected up to GRTgaz's transmission network between 01/08/2022 and 11/12/2022 compared with the same period in 2018