In the week ending January 26, electricity demand across major European markets exhibited a varied growth pattern, with notable increases in several regions. The United Kingdom led the way with a significant rise of 3.7%, marking a rebound after two weeks of declining figures. Italy and Germany reported more modest increases of 0.1% and 0.3% respectively, both continuing their upward trajectories for five consecutive weeks. France also contributed to this trend, experiencing a demand increase of 1.4% for the second week in a row.
Conversely, the Iberian Peninsula and Belgium faced reductions in electricity demand. Belgium’s decline was the smallest at 0.8%, representing its third consecutive week of decreased demand. Spain and Portugal saw more pronounced drops, with demand falling by 2.3% and 7.5% respectively, after three weeks of growth.
Temperature fluctuations played a role in these demand trends, as average temperatures rose in most analyzed markets during the last week of January compared to the previous week. Portugal recorded the most substantial temperature increase at 2.2 °C, while France noted only a slight change of 0.1 °C. Other countries such as Italy, Germany, and Spain experienced temperature rises of 0.2 °C, 1.6 °C, and 2.0 °C respectively. In contrast, both the United Kingdom and Belgium saw decreases in average temperatures of 1.3 °C and 2.0 °C.
Looking ahead to the first week of February, projections from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting suggest that electricity demand is expected to rise again in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Spain. However, a decline is anticipated in Germany, Portugal, Italy, and France, indicating a potential shift in regional consumption patterns as winter progresses.
