Warm winter decreased the first quarter’s sales of Eesti Gaas

While there was a one-fourth growth in compressed natural gas sales volume, the volume of gas used for heat production decreased during the first quarter of the year.

With this year’s first three months, AS Eesti Gaas has sold 176.5 million m3 of gas; sales of the last year’s same period amounted to 207.2 million m3. “The biggest difference compared o last year occurred in January when the air temperature was 5.4 degrees higher than average and thus the volume of gas used for heat production decreased,” said Ants Noot, the executive director of Eesti Gaas.

Compared to last year, consumption of natural gas in transportation increased with the first quarter by 27.1%. The volume of compressed natural gas used this year amounted to 1316 thousand m3 and the volume of last year’s reference period was 1035 thousand m3.

“We are pleased to see firm and steady growth in consumption of compressed natural gas. From one side, it demonstrates that environmental awareness is increasing and, on the other hand, it shows economic way of thinking – compressed natural gas is still about half cheaper than petrol,” said Noot. Eesti Gaas is taking vigorous steps to promote natural gas as transport fuel: according to plans, several new service stations, incl. in Tallinn, will be opened both this and next year.

In three months, Eesti Gaas sold four times as much electricity as during the same period last year – respectively 12.7 GWh this year and 3.2 GWh in 2016. “Sales growth is the result of the growing electricity customer number. An active electricity sale has started to show results. For the time being, our volumes are still small but our work is directed towards turning Eesti Gaas into a energy market partner offering complete solutions to its customers,” Noot said.

AS Eesti Gaas sells natural gas and electricity. The Group also includes AS EG Ehitus specialising in planning and construction of gas pipe systems and installations and AS Gaasivõrgud providing distribution services. The company owns five compressed natural gas stations in Estonia.

Eesti Gaas employs over 200 people, the company has 1600 business and 42 000 domestic customers.