In the initial week of January, electricity demand surged notably across key European markets compared to the previous week. Italy emerged as the leader in demand growth, experiencing a significant increase of 19%. Other countries such as Spain, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, and Portugal also reported substantial rises in demand, ranging from 11% to 17%, with Portugal achieving the highest growth within this spectrum. This upward trend marks the second consecutive week of increased consumption for most of these markets, while the Iberian Peninsula showed a rebound from earlier declines. France’s demand growth was comparatively modest at 8.2%, indicating its fourth consecutive week of rising electricity consumption.
The increase in demand can be attributed primarily to lower average temperatures across many regions. Temperature reductions varied, with Great Britain seeing a decrease of 0.2°C and Germany experiencing a more substantial drop of 1.8°C, both factors contributing to heightened heating requirements and increased electricity usage. Conversely, France’s average temperatures were slightly higher than the previous week by 0.5°C, which tempered its demand growth relative to other markets.
Looking ahead to the week commencing January 12, forecasts from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting suggest that electricity demand will continue to rise in Germany, Spain, and Italy. However, a contrasting trend is expected in France, Portugal, Great Britain, and Belgium where demand is anticipated to decline. This divergence highlights varying consumption patterns across Europe as weather conditions influence energy needs differently across regions.
