In May 2026, the Hungarian power exchange HUPX recorded a noticeable increase in electricity prices on its day-ahead market, while overall trading activity declined compared to the previous month.
The average baseload price reached €106.51/MWh, up 10.3% month-on-month from €96.55/MWh in April. This indicates a firmer pricing environment across the Hungarian electricity market during May, supported by tighter regional fundamentals and more volatile short-term conditions.
On the peak load segment, prices increased more moderately. The average peak price stood at €62.16/MWh, representing a 2.9% rise compared to April, suggesting that upward pressure was stronger in baseload trading than in peak-hour segments.
Trading volumes, however, moved in the opposite direction. The total day-ahead market volume fell to 2.59 million MWh, a 6.3% decrease month-on-month compared to April’s 2.44 million MWh. Despite this monthly decline, activity remained stronger on a yearly basis, increasing by around 4% compared to May 2025.
The intraday continuous market also showed reduced activity, with traded volume declining to 1,027,927 MWh, down 5.5% from April 2026. This reflects a slight cooling in short-term trading participation, even as price volatility and structural shifts in the regional power mix persist.
Market participation continued to expand, however. The day-ahead market recorded 124 registered members, an increase of four compared to the previous month, while the intraday segment reached 118 participants, highlighting stable and resilient engagement across trading platforms despite lower volumes.
Overall, May 2026 reflected a market environment characterized by higher prices, lower volumes, and steady participation growth, reinforcing Hungary’s role as one of the key pricing hubs in the regional electricity landscape.
