Electricity demand down for sixth successive month

Electricity demand in the household, professional, business and industrial categories fell for a sixth successive month in December, sliding by a record 13.69 percent, overall, compared to the corresponding month a year earlier, while, on an annual basis, demand fell by 3.55 percent last year compared to 2021.

Consumer behavior has changed considerably during the energy crisis, higher energy costs forcing users to cut back on energy consumption.

In November, electricity demand fell by 9.96 percent compared to the same month in 2021, October’s fall was 8.26 percent, September demand fell by 4.26 percent, the decline in August was 12.71 percent, and July’s drop was 11.24 percent.

Households and businesses recorded the biggest reductions in electricity demand last month, this being 15.61 percent compared to December, 2021, while high-voltage consumers used 1.51 percent less electricity.

As expected, the reduction in electricity demand prompted a drop in electricity generation in 2022, down 3.08 percent on 2021. Conventional facilities reduced their generation by 12.57 percent, but renewable energy production rose by 14.32 percent compared to the previous year.