Electricity demand in Greece continued to fall in January for the seventh month in a row, recording a 14 percent drop compared to the same month last year, according to a monthly report published by the electricity system operator IPTO. At the same time, imports increased by 37 percent.
Households, businesses and industrial producers have reduced their electricity consumption in an effort to contain their energy costs. The drop in electricity demand in January was the second largest in the previous seven months and one of the largest in the country’s history.
Households recorded a drop in electricity consumption in January by as much as 15 percent compared to January 2022, to 4,203 GWh, while heavy industry reduced consumption by 8 percent, according to the IPTO report for January.
Total electricity demand fell to 4,235 GWh in January, from 4,881 GWh in January 2022.
Falling demand for electricity led to a 26 percent drop in production in January, compared to January 2022, to 3,189 GWh, according to IPTO data.
The difference between production and consumption of electricity was covered by imports, which increased by 37 percent, to 1,149 GWh.
Renewables and hydropower dominated the country’s energy mix in the first month of 2023, with a combined share of close to 60 percent. Natural gas and electricity produced on the basis of lignite accounted for 40 percent of the total production.
