SEATTLE (Oil Monster): Consumption of natural gas broke records in 2025 with residential and commercial sectors accounting for most of the year-over-year increase, particularly in the first quarter, according to data released last week from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Natural gas consumption averaged a record of 92.0 billion cubic feet per day in 2025 and set a new winter monthly record of 126.6 billion cubic feet per day in January 2025, the EIA said.
There was an 11% increase in natural gas used by the residential sector throughout 2025, a 9% increase from the commercial sector, and a 1% increase from the industrial sector, the EIA said. Natural gas used to generate electricity had a -3% year-over-year decline.
Despite the dip, the electric power sector remained the largest natural gas consumer in 2025. Over the past decade, demand for natural gas power generation has trended upward from an average of 27.3 billion cubic feet per day in 2016 to 35.8 billion cubic feet per day in 2025.
U.S. natural gas consumption typically peaks during the winter heating season (November–March), when colder temperatures increase demand for heating in the residential and commercial sectors. The top five months of record-high consumption since 1998 all occurred during these winter months because of sustained cold weather.
Electric power usage typically peaks during the summer months, when air-conditioning demand increases. The U.S. registered 73 fewer cooling degree days over the summer months (May–August) in 2025, the EIA said.
“The decline in electric power consumption of natural gas also reflected rapid solar and battery additions in 2025, which displaced natural gas-fired generation during many hours of the day,” the EIA said.
Courtesy: www.njbia.org
