In the final week of April, European electricity markets witnessed a notable uptick in prices, rebounding from previous lows. Despite a significant decline on May 1, which affected multiple markets, a swift recovery occurred over the weekend, resulting in elevated weekly averages across various regions.
Contrastingly, the British, Dutch, and Belgian markets diverged from this upward trend, reporting decreases of 2.7%, 3.9%, and 7.3%, respectively. The Italian market showed relative stability with a slight decrease of 0.6%. Notably, the French market experienced the most substantial increase at 63%, attributed to an exceptionally low price base from the prior week. Other regions analyzed by AleaSoft Energy Forecasting noted price increases ranging from 4.7% in Germany to an impressive 39% in the Nordic region.
Weekly average prices predominantly remained below €65/MWh across European markets, with exceptions for the British and Italian markets, which recorded averages of €105.61/MWh and €108.49/MWh, respectively. The French market achieved the lowest weekly average at €12.45/MWh, while other regions varied 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 ever recorded. Germany and Belgium also faced negative pricing on that same day, with values of −€2.08/MWh and −€5.47/MWh, respectively; this represented Belgium’s lowest level since May 2025. Additionally, both the Dutch and Italian markets reached their lowest daily prices since October 2025.
In stark contrast, the Italian and British markets frequently saw daily prices surpassing €100/MWh, with peaks exceeding €120/MWh throughout the week. The highest daily average was noted in Italy on April 28 at €128.59/MWh.
The upward pressure on electricity prices can be primarily attributed to rising gas costs and diminished wind and solar generation capacity. However, some markets experienced reduced demand that temporarily mitigated price increases. Looking ahead, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting anticipates a rise in prices across European markets in early May, driven by recovering demand levels, lower wind generation in key areas, and ongoing fluctuations in gas prices.
