In the first week of July, electricity demand increased across the main European markets compared to the previous week. The highest rise was recorded in Spain, where demand grew by 6.6%. Other notable increases were seen in Portugal with 6.1%, Belgium with 3.9%, and Italy with 3.8%. Germany registered a more modest increase of 0.8%.
Daily demand figures also reached new highs for 2025 in several countries. On July 2, Mainland Spain recorded its highest electricity demand of the year so far, with 806 GWh. Italy followed with its peak demand on July 4, reaching 1137 GWh.
The increase in electricity demand was mainly driven by a heatwave that affected much of Europe during the week. Rising temperatures led to higher use of cooling systems, which boosted electricity consumption. France and Belgium experienced temperature increases of 0.5°C and 1.0°C, respectively. In contrast, Great Britain saw a slight decrease in average temperatures, with a drop of 0.4°C.
Looking ahead to the week of July 7, forecasts by AleaSoft Energy Forecasting indicate that electricity demand is expected to decline in most major European markets, in line with anticipated drops in temperature, AleaSoft reports.