Saeid Tavakoli said Tuesday in an interview with Radio Tehran that the first half of the Iranian month of Bahman followed an exceptional cold wave that began in Dey, when average temperatures fell significantly below long-term norms.

“In such conditions, peak consumption in the residential, commercial and small industries sectors was registered on Jan. 22,” he said. “On that day, usage reached 737 million cubic meters, equal to about 85% of total gas delivered to the network.”

He said the figure marked a 34 million cubic meter increase from last year’s maximum daily consumption of 703 million cubic meters, recorded in March, calling it a rare record.

Tavakoli said Iran’s extensive reliance on natural gas — driven by one of the world’s highest penetration rates — makes management of the national network a strategic priority during peak demand. He added that imbalances on some peak days reached nearly 300 million cubic meters.

Need for Infrastructure Measures to Improve Energy Efficiency

Tavakoli said round-the-clock efforts across the supply chain helped maintain stability in gas production, transmission and distribution nationwide, with no reported household gas outages.

He cited international assessments over the past two decades showing Iran among countries with rising energy intensity, underscoring the need for stronger infrastructure measures in energy efficiency and demand management.

He pointed to “Topic 19” of Iran’s National Building Regulations, which requires new buildings to meet energy consumption standards in insulation, facilities and equipment.

“If a household’s energy consumption is indexed at 100, about 70% to 80% is used for heating in winter,” he said. “Whether a home has double-glazed windows or proper thermal insulation significantly affects consumption.”

He added that the type and efficiency of heating systems also play a direct role in improving efficiency and managing gas use.