Social Affairs

Demand for electricity in December up by 10 per cent since 2014

Demand up nearly 100 megawatts this year compared to the same period in 2017

Demand for electricity in December has grown year-on-year since 2014.

Simon Foy
Mon Dec 24 2018 - 01:00

Electricity demand in the run up to Christmas has increased by more than 10 per cent since 2014, according Eirgrid, the national electricity grid operator.

This is despite an increase in the usage of LED lights that are more energy efficient.

Engineers at the state-owned body compared Eirgrid’s “demand load profile” for the third Monday in December for the last five years to produce the analysis.

David Martin, a spokesman for EirGrid, said the figures are “quite surprising” because “the weather this year was very mild, which would normally result in a drop in the [electricity] demand figure”.

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He added: “We are seeing an increased usage of LED lights which only use about 10 per cent of the power of older lights.”

The analysis also shows that peak demand for electricity in December occurs between 5pm and 6pm, around the time Christmas lights are turned on, according to Eirgrid.

“Though it is difficult to quantify precisely what has caused these increases, it is fair to assume that a return to economic growth resulting in increased Christmas-related activities (shopping, Christmas lights, etc) is a factor,” said Mr Martin.

The figures released to the Irish Times show that electricity demand is up nearly 100 megawatts this year compared to the same period in 2017, an increase of more than two per cent.

Demand for electricity in December has grown year-on-year since 2014 despite a drop of almost 5 per cent between 2013 and 2014, the analysis shows.

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