All-time electricity demand high, but petrol prices dip to lowest level since September 2021

Eirgrid said there was an ‘all-time record’ for electricity demand in Ireland on Monday. Demand soared to 5,504 megawatts at 5.30pm, according to a spokesman for the group, which operates the national electricity grid.

“This beats the previous record of 5,363 megawatts set in December 2021,” the spokesman said.

Eirgrid said the cold weather was “a significant factor” and that a one degree drop in temperatures results in a 40 megawatt increase in electricity demand.

Meanwhile, the average price of a litre of petrol is now the lowest it has been since September 2021, while diesel prices have dropped to their lowest level since the war in Ukraine began, according to the latest AA fuel survey.

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The average price of a litre of petrol is now €1.60, a 17 cent (9.8 per cent) drop since last month. The average price for a litre of diesel is now €1.74, a 22c fall (11.3 per cent) compared to November.

The average price of fuel has dropped by around more than 10 per cent across Ireland, according to the AA, which said offers “some respite for motorists as they head into the festive season”.

Paddy Comyn, AA Ireland’s head of communications, said the latest price reductions “come at a good time for motorists, hauliers and commercial operators alike”.

“There is no firm indication on how long these prices will last, but for now, they give consumers some slight respite against ever-increasing prices,” he said.