According to RTE, the drop of 7.4% last week is partly explained by the softening of temperatures. This reduced the heating consumption.
Electricity consumption continues to fall in France, with a decline of 7.4% last week compared to the average for previous years (2014-2019) the same week, according to the latest data from the RTE network manager published on Tuesday evening. This figure is published after adjustment for calendar and meteorological effects: it is therefore the consumption that would have occurred if the temperatures had been aligned with the normal temperatures for the period.
In this way, it is possible to identify structural variations in consumption from one year to the next, beyond the weather effects, explains RTE. These structural variations are the effect, for example, of variations in economic activity or actions oriented towards sobriety. Over the past four weeks, the average structural decline has reached 8.7%.
Read alsoEnergy crisis: RTE lowers the risk of tensions on the electricity network to “medium” in January
The pace of decline, however, slowed last week (-7.4% against -8.1% the one before), according to a calculation “excluding years with too different calendar configurations (the position of Christmas Day determines the consumption for the whole week)”, indicates the manager of the electricity network.
The risk of tensions for the lowered electricity network
RTE explains the slowdown in the decline by a reduction in the potential for additional energy savings for individuals and companies in the tertiary sector, the warmer temperatures having reduced electricity consumption linked to heating. During the past week, the temperatures “were significantly above normal for the season, with a positive difference reaching 8.2°C on Friday December 23”he points out.
The manager of the high and very high voltage lines had lowered on December 20 the risk of tensions for the electricity network in January by“raised” to “average”, given the sobriety efforts and the restart of several nuclear reactors. The government has called for sobriety this winter against a backdrop of supply difficulties linked in particular to corrosion problems on part of the French nuclear fleet.