September gas consumption down 12.5% on last year

The State’s gas consumption in September was 12.5 per cent lower than n the same month last year, while indigenous production of gas continued to fall year on year and imported gas grew.

Figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Thursday show that total natural gas demand reached 3,690 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in September, 12.5 per cent lower than in September 2022 and 1.1 per cent lower than in August of this year.

Gas consumption decreased across all categories when compared to the same month last year, with gas consumption by non-daily metered users (households and low demand industry) down 8 per cent.

Meanwhile consumption of daily metered users (with annual consumption of between 5.55 GWh and 57.5 GWh) was down 4 per cent, and consumption by large daily metered users (with annual consumption of 57.5 GWh or higher) fell by 0.4 per cent.

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Power plants, a subsection of the large daily metered sector, saw a 16 per cent decrease in gas consumption in September, compared to the same month last year.

However, power plants still accounted for 71 per cent of all gas consumption in September, to a total of 2,625 GWh.

Total supply of gas to the network in September was 3,694 GWh, also down 12.5 per cent on the same month last year and 1.2 per cent lower than in August.

Gas imports accounted for 72 per cent of all gas supplied to the network in September, while indigenously produced gas from the Corrib gasfield and biomethane accounted for the remaining 28 per cent.

The CSO noted that in 2018, indigenous production of gas exceeded imports, but that since then indigenous production has decreased each year, while imports have continued to increase.

The CSO release is based on data supplied by Gas Networks Ireland.

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