Domestic gas consumption reached 520 million cubic meters (mcm/d) on Monday, one hundred mcm/d higher than the same time last year, the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) speaker said, Shana reported.
Majid Boujarzadeh said, "On Monday, 86mcm of gas was supplied to major industries, 70 mcm to power plants, and 362mcm to households".
Iran's weather is forecast to be similar this November to that of January, with temperatures predicted to drop below zero over the next few days in the northern, north western and western provinces.
He urged households to reduce consumption to help the NIGC improve gas delivery by using intelligent consumption optimization systems and improving central heating.
The government has called for temperatures in public and state-owned buildings to be kept at between 18 and 21 centigrade.
Implementing major repairs to refineries and gas transmission pipelines as well as planning for the 10th national gas pipeline to carry gas from south to central and northern parts of the country are among measures taken by NIGC to facilitate domestic gas supply.
Managing director of the NIOC's dispatch center Houshang Taheri earlier stated that with an 8°C decrease in the average temperature, domestic gas consumption could reach 350 million cubic meters per day.
Iran holds the world’s second biggest natural gas reserves after Russia, and the fourth-largest proved crude oil reserves, with around 17 percent of the world's proved natural gas reserves and more than one-third of OPEC's reserves belonging to Iran.
The country's largest natural gas field, South Pars, is estimated to hold roughly 40 percent of Iran's gas reserves.
