Gas consumption in Czechia rose for the first time in three years, driven by a cold September

Gas consumption in Czechia rose for the first time in three years, with Czechs consuming 887 million cubic metres of natural gas in the third quarter of this year, up 1.8 percent year on year. Colder weather in September was the main factor. The Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ) said today in a press release. Overall, however, consumption so far this year is around five percent lower year on year, mainly due to warmer weather earlier in the year.

“The third quarter of this year saw really contrasting temperatures. While the unusually warm summer holiday months had virtually no effect on natural gas consumption, the colder-than-average September had a very significant impact on the overall figures. Consumption rose mainly among households and other categories that use gas, among other things, for heating,” said Stanislav Trávníček, chairman of the ERÚ Council.

Despite the latest increase, overall gas consumption is at 1990s levels, according to Trávníček, marking a 30-year low. In the third quarter of 2020, before consumption began to fall steadily, Czechs consumed 1.2 billion cubic metres of gas—almost 40 percent more than this year, he added.

Gas consumption rose most among households in the third quarter of this year, increasing by more than a fifth. Small business customers used 18.5 percent more gas, followed by medium-sized customers, whose consumption rose by more than 10 percent. By contrast, large customers, which account for almost 72 percent of consumption, reduced their use by 2.1 percent.

The statistics again showed the significant changes in European gas flows following the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly the reduction in gas transit across Czech territory. In the third quarter of this year, gas flows from the Czech gas network to other countries fell by 51.7 percent year on year, to a total of 155 million cubic metres. The steep decline is even more apparent when compared with the year before last, when almost 2.2 billion cubic metres flowed during the same period.