Europe power demand edges higher in France, Italy and Britain as May weather cools most markets

Electricity demand across Europe shifted in early May as weather patterns diverged between markets and a national holiday dampened consumption in parts of the region. In the week of May 11, demand increased in France, Italy and Great Britain compared with the previous week, extending what had been a two-week upward trend.

France recorded the largest rise, with electricity demand up 2.9%. Italy followed with a 0.9% increase, while Great Britain saw a smaller gain of 0.5%. By contrast, Germany, Belgium and the Iberian markets reversed course from the prior week’s improvement: Germany fell by 6.9%, while Belgium declined by 2.0%, Portugal by 1.6% and Spain by 1.1%.

Weather drove most of the swing

Average temperatures fell across most of the analyzed markets during the same period, helping explain why some systems saw higher consumption even as others weakened. Belgium and Germany experienced the biggest temperature drops, down 3.8°C and 3.7°C respectively. Italy recorded the smallest decline at 0.7°C.

Great Britain and France also cooled, with temperature reductions of 2.4°C and 2.5°C. The Iberian Peninsula was an exception: Spain and Portugal saw slight temperature increases of 0.1°C and 0.3°C, respectively—conditions that coincided with lower demand in those markets.

Ascension Thursday weighed on Germany and Belgium

The week also included Ascension Thursday on May 14, a national holiday that contributed to lower electricity demand in Germany and Belgium. At the same time, colder weather supported higher consumption in France, Italy and Great Britain, while slightly warmer conditions on the Iberian Peninsula helped reduce demand in Spain and Portugal.

Outlook for May 18 remains mixed

Looking ahead to the week of May 18, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s demand outlook points to increases in Germany, Italy, the Iberian Peninsula and Belgium. In contrast, France and Great Britain are expected to see declines in electricity demand over that period.