In the final week of April, European electricity markets observed a notable increase in prices, contrasting with trends at the beginning of the month. Following a significant drop on May 1, many markets rebounded over the weekend, resulting in elevated weekly averages across various regions.
Despite this general recovery, several markets, including those in Britain, the Netherlands, and Belgium, diverged from the upward trend. These markets reported declines of 2.7%, 3.9%, and 7.3%, respectively. The Italian market displayed relative stability with a slight decrease of 0.6%. Conversely, France experienced the most substantial price increase at 63%, attributed to an exceptionally low base from the prior week. Other regions analyzed by AleaSoft Energy Forecasting saw price increases ranging from 4.7% in Germany to 39% in the Nordic countries.
Weekly average prices across most European markets remained below €65/MWh, although the British and Italian markets reported higher averages of €105.61/MWh and €108.49/MWh, respectively. Notably, France recorded the lowest weekly average at just €12.45/MWh, while other markets ranged between €55.24/MWh in the Nordics and €64.75/MWh in the Netherlands.
On May 1, the French market hit an unprecedented low price of €41.39/MWh, marking its lowest daily value on record. Germany and Belgium also faced negative pricing on that day, with values of −€2.08/MWh and −€5.47/MWh, respectively; Belgium’s figure represented its lowest level since May 2025. Additionally, both Dutch and Italian markets reached their lowest daily prices since October 2025 on that same date.
In contrast to these declines, daily prices in Italy and Britain frequently surpassed €100/MWh during the week, with peaks exceeding €120/MWh observed. The highest daily average was recorded in Italy on April 28 at €128.59/MWh.
The upward pressure on electricity prices can be largely attributed to rising gas costs coupled with diminished wind and solar generation capacities across Europe. However, reduced demand in certain areas has temporarily constrained price increases. Looking ahead to early May, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting anticipates a rise in prices across European markets due to expected increases in demand alongside lower wind output in critical regions and ongoing fluctuations in gas prices.
