During the week of December 22, electricity demand fell across most major European markets compared to the previous week, reversing the upward trend observed earlier. The Italian market recorded the largest drop at 20%, while Belgium saw the smallest decrease of 4.7%. Germany, Spain, Portugal, and the UK experienced declines ranging from 8.2% to 11%. Reduced demand was largely influenced by Christmas celebrations and, in some regions, St. Stephen’s Day on December 26.
In contrast, France, where electricity demand is highly sensitive to temperature changes, saw a 9.3% increase in demand compared to the prior week, as average temperatures were 5.0 °C lower. Other major European markets also experienced temperature drops, with Belgium registering the largest decline at 7.7 °C and Italy the smallest at 1.0 °C.
Looking ahead to the week of December 29, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting predicts that demand will rise in Germany, Spain, the UK, Belgium, and France, reversing the previous week’s decline. However, Italy and Portugal are expected to continue experiencing lower electricity demand, AleaSoft reports.