Electricity consumption in France fell by -7.4% during the first week of holidays in December 2022, compared to previous years.
Christmas week (December 19 to 25) is also the week of a new drop in electricity consumption in France. This is what the latest data show published by RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Electricité), the operator of the electricity transmission network in the country, a subsidiary of EDF.
The drop is significant: RTE notes a decline of -7.4% over the week in question compared to previous years (2014 to 2019). As on the scale of November 2022, this again concerns all sectors – industrial, tertiary and residential.
-8.7% electricity consumption over the last 4 weeks
This figure is adjusted for weather and calendar effects. This means that RTE takes into account, in its calculations, variations in the weather (rise or fall compared to normal) and the calendar (holiday, weekend, etc.). Clearly, this figure corresponds to the electricity consumption that would have occurred if the temperatures had been seasonal. This method of calculation makes it possible to identify structural changes in consumption, independently of contingencies.
“The bearish effect remains on the whole during this first week of holidays”
TEN
And structurally, precisely, the decline is notable. In addition to the -7.4% over the last week, RTE notes an overall decline of -8.7% for the last four weeks compared to the average for this period in previous years.
RTE therefore considers that the ” bearish effect remains on the whole during this first week of holidays “. This numbers ” confirm the trend observed for several weeks, and the real effect of the sobriety actions taken by individuals and companies “. A drop that helps to reduce the risk of electrical load shedding.
