Belgian gas consumption dropped this winter by 14%

Another outcome of this winter's unusually mild temperatures that won’t have consumers complaining is low gas bills. According to Fluxys, the independent operator of Belgium’s natural gas system, consumption went down by 14% compared to last winter.

The data, taken between December 1and February 17, concerns public gas consumption, such as individual homes and small enterprises where use is directly related to weather conditions. 

Fluxys also provides gas to industrial clients. Their consumption went down by 6.3%, but this drop reflects economic activity. Power generation consumption, meanwhile, went down by one-third compared to the same period last year; this decline is attributed to several nuclear plants being out of service last winter, for which gas plants had to pick up the slack.

Overall, Fluxys supplied 17% less natural gas during the period. If the current weather trends continue, this decline is likely to be even greater: March 2013 was a particularly cold month, causing gas consumption to skyrocket (+60%).

Photo courtesy of Flickr/warrenski