During the week of July 28, electricity demand declined in the majority of key European power markets compared to the previous week. Italy experienced the largest decrease, with demand falling by 12%, while Spain recorded the smallest drop, just 0.8%. Germany, France, and the United Kingdom also saw decreases of 2.3%, 2.7%, and 2.8%, respectively. Except for Germany, these markets reported a second consecutive week of declining demand.
In contrast, electricity demand rose in Portugal and Belgium, reversing the downward trend observed over the previous three weeks. Demand increased by 6.8% in Portugal and 1.2% in Belgium. The rise in Belgium is attributed in part to a rebound following the National Day holiday on July 21.
The overall decrease in demand across most markets was supported by a drop in average temperatures, which reduced cooling needs. Temperature declines ranged from 0.4°C in France to 2.6°C in Italy. Conversely, Spain and Portugal experienced temperature increases of 0.8°C and 1.4°C, respectively.
Looking ahead to the week of August 4, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting predicts that electricity demand will rise in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and Spain. Meanwhile, demand is expected to decline in the Portuguese and Italian markets, AleaSoft reports.