High energy prices cause Flemish households to reduce gas consumption
Over the past two months, Flemish households have reduced their gas consumption,
probably as a result of the high energy prices. This is apparent from a data analysis by distribution network operator Fluvius, based on the anonymous data of 100,000 digital gas meters.
Rising energy prices are causing Flemish homeowners to be more conscious of their gas consumption, which is currently significantly lower than in the same period last year. Compared to January and February 2021, Flemish households consume 5 and 16 percent less respectively.
In absolute figures, gas consumption in January fell from an average of 95 to 80 kilowatt hours per day and in February from an average of 82.5 to 67.5 kilowatt hours per day. Distribution network operator Fluvius has also taken into account the temperature differences between the same months in 2021 and 2022.
The decrease can be determined per type of customer, says Fluvius spokesperson Björn Verdoodt. How exactly households have reduced their gas consumption is not known.
"But it is probably a combination of various ways, such as setting the thermostat one degree lower or heating it less at night, closing or lowering radiator valves in the house, lowering the boiler temperature slightly or replacing outdated appliances with more economical ones," says Verdoodt.
The number of households actively surfing the customer portal mijn.fluvius.be has also increased by more than 30,000 over the past two months, from 115,000 at the beginning of the year to 146,000 today. This figure too is a good indication that households are actively looking for information about their energy consumption and how to reduce it. On my.fluvius.be, households with a digital meter can monitor their consumption free of charge, even by the quarter-hour for electricity and by the hour for gas.
© BELGA