In the first week of April, electricity demand declined across the main European markets compared to the previous week. Spain showed the largest drop of 8.7%, followed by Portugal at 6.8% and Great Britain at 6.7%. Demand in Germany fell by 5.2%, while Italy and France registered declines of 2.7% and 1.0%, respectively. Belgium remained nearly stable with a 0.2% decrease.
Higher average temperatures supported this trend, rising between 1.6 °C and 2.0 °C and reducing heating needs. The Easter holiday calendar also contributed to lower demand.
For the second week of April, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s demand forecasts point to mixed trends across Europe, while average temperatures will continue rising in all analyzed markets. France, Italy and Belgium are expected to register the largest temperature increases. Under these conditions, demand will fall in France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy, while Germany, Spain and Portugal could see demand recovery. Overall, in addition to the effect of temperatures, the different distribution of Easter holidays will continue to influence week-on-week demand comparisons, AleaSoft reports.