According to the Belgian federation of energy grid operators Synergrid, electricity and gas consumption increased in Belgium in 2015.
Electricity consumption progressed by 1%, thanks to a 2% increase in the consumption of large industrial consumers connected to the transmission network and to a 1% hike in the consumption of households and commercial consumers. This slight increase is related to mild temperatures in 2015. Locally-consumed auto-production rose by 9%. Electricity imports reached a record in 2015 at 23.7 TWh (+9% compared to 2014), due to a low availability of nuclear power plants, while exports fell by 35% to 2.7 TWh. Net imports (21 TWh) were 19% higher than in 2014 and covered 26% of total consumption in Belgium in 2015.
Where gas is concerned, gas consumption rose by 9.6%. Gas demand from the power sector increased by 12% (due to the limited availability of nuclear power plants again) while the demand from large industrial consumers progressed by 4.8%. Customers connected to the distribution network consumed nearly 11% more than in 2015, as the 2014 warmth level was not reached: the number of degree-days rose by 15.5% in 2014. However, in December 2015 (very mild temperatures), gas consumption from households and commercials fell by 28% compared to December 2014.