In the week of March 31, electricity demand in most major European markets decreased compared to the previous week. The French and British markets saw the largest drops, with declines of 8.5% and 7.3%, respectively. Other markets, including Spain, Germany, Portugal, and Belgium, also experienced reductions in demand, ranging from a 2.3% decline in Spain to a 4.7% drop in Belgium. For the German, French, Spanish, British, and Belgian markets, these declines marked the third consecutive week of reduced demand.
The decline in electricity demand was primarily attributed to rising average temperatures across Europe, which led to a decrease in heating needs. Temperatures increased between 0.5°C in Germany and 2.5°C in Belgium and France. In contrast, Italy’s average temperatures remained relatively stable compared to the previous week, resulting in a slight 0.9% increase in demand.
Looking ahead, according to AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s demand projections, the second week of April is expected to see a rise in demand in the markets of Great Britain, Portugal, Italy, and Belgium. Conversely, demand is likely to continue its downward trend in the markets of Germany, France, and Spain, AleaSoft reports.