Energy shortage: these French departments that consume the least electricity

UpEnergie has published an infographic of electricity consumption per capita in France based on 2019 data. These statistics are based on a national average consumption of 2223 kWh/year per capita. At present, electricity represents 25% of French energy consumption according to the site.

However, the equipment renewal actions carried out by the government tend towards increased electrification, so the proportion of 25% is likely to increase over time. The infographic makes it possible to identify the departments with the best results in terms of electricity consumption. The cities winning the lowest per capita consumption prize are therefore St-Etienne, Rennes and Mulhouse. Given the weather in these cities, this result may come as a surprise.

As UpEnergie reports, cooling homes is actually more energy-intensive than heating them. Indeed, the site uses data from the RTE (Electricity transmission network), and affirms that a rise of 1°C would lead to an increase in consumption of 500 MW, against only 24 MW when it comes to an equal temperature drop.

Another explanation would be the preference in northern homes for the oil boiler as a means of heating, especially in comparison with their southern counterparts.

Finally, the quality of home insulation also has a role to play: the better a home is insulated, the less it is obviously necessary to heat it.

Regarding the prospects for electricity shortages and blackouts this winter, the less greedy territories would be less likely to suffer. Indeed, the envisaged cuts would be planned, and would occur in the event of overwork of the network. The sectors of the national network that are less under pressure will therefore be less likely to find themselves in this situation.

Here is the list of French departments whose inhabitants consume the least electricity.