On Wednesday evening, Mohsen Paknejad, during a meeting with members of the Parliament’s Agriculture Committee at the Ministry of Oil, noted the challenges faced by the oil industry in fuel supply.

“With just a one-degree drop in temperature, household gas consumption increases by 25 million cubic meters (mcm) per day,” he said.

Paknejad stressed that ensuring gas supply to households is a top priority. However, when household consumption surges, gas distribution to other sectors inevitably faces restrictions.

The minister explained that the Oil Ministry provides the necessary energy mix for power plants—including natural gas, diesel, and fuel oil. “Every day, 55 million liters of diesel are delivered to power plants, and we are doing everything we can to supply them with the maximum amount of gas,” he added.

Paknejad noted that developing each phase of the South Pars gas field, along with its refinery, requires over $5 billion in investment and six years of work. However, despite such investments, consumption is growing at a faster pace. Therefore, demand management and optimizing consumption are critical to addressing the imbalance, he said.

He highlighted the importance of using high-efficiency heating systems to manage energy consumption and suggested leveraging private sector capabilities to replace low-efficiency heating equipment.

The minister also pointed to the success of the “2 Degrees Less” campaign in relatively managing gas consumption, calling it an example of the effectiveness of demand management in optimizing use.