Amid Covid-19 lockdown, European nations see drop in electricity consumption

As the Covid-19 pandemic has shut schools, schools and offices across the globe, electricity consumption by nations has witnessed a slump.

An independent European think-tank called Bruegel has come up with research that shows the pattern of electricity consumption in selected countries in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown.

As the Covid-19 pandemic has shut schools, schools and offices across the globe, electricity consumption by nations has witnessed a slump.

With people working from home and no one really leaving the house under lockdown situations, people might think this would be bumping up their electricity cost, but keeping the bigger picture in mind, the lockdown has significantly slashed energy consumption at the macrocosmic level.

The economic think tank, in its study, analysed electricity consumption in some European nations with the corresponding day (April 10) last year. It was found that Italy, which has been most badly hit by coronavirus among all European nations, witnessed as much as 27% less electricity consumption as compared to the same day in 2019.

The study also factored in other European nations like Spain, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, among others.

As per the analysis, Spain had consumed 21% less electricity on April 10 this year as compared to the same day in 2019. France saw 16% less electricity this year on April 10 as compared to 2019 while the UK saw a reduction of 14%.

The analysis painted a peculiar picture for Germany which saw just 8% reduction in its electricity consumption this April 10 as opposed to the same day last year. 

More than a million people have been infected by the deadly contagion while over 80,000 have lost their lives to Covid-19 worldwide. The US death toll from coronavirus eclipsed Italy’s for the highest in the world on Saturday, surpassing 20,000.