TEHRAN – Following the significant temperature drop over the past few days, the consumption of natural gas by Iranian domestic and commercial sectors reached 665 million cubic meters (mcm) to register a new record high in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 19), an official with the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) announced.

According to the Head of the NIGC Dispatching Department Gholamreza Kooshki, considering the current trend, the country’s gas consumption is expected to increase even further to 680 mcm, Shana reported.

“Now, the gas network of some cities in the provinces of Golestan, Mazandaran, Gilan, Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan are in critical conditions, and there is a need to save and manage consumption,” Kooshki said.

According to the official, the most gas consumption is registered in the provinces of Tehran, Isfahan, and Razavi Khorasan respectively.

As reported, Oil Minister Javad Oji has also warned about the current consumption patterns, saying that there is a possibility of a drop in gas pressure in the northern provinces.

“I ask people to use optimally and heat a minimum space in the workplaces and homes to help other fellow citizens, especially in the North-West, North, and North-East provinces,” Oji said.

The NIGC also published a notice on Wednesday morning asking all natural gas consumers across the country to observe the comfort temperature from 18 to 21 degrees Celsius, wear clothes suitable for the cold season, and adjust the temperature of heating systems based on the comfort temperature.

EF/