Romania was on Thursday, January 15, for the second consecutive day, the most expensive spot electricity market in Europe, due to very high consumption fueled by the recent low temperatures.
According to data analyzed by Profit, electricity demand in recent days reached the highest values in the last four years, exceeding the 9,000 MW threshold during peak hours, in the morning and evening.
The average daily price of electricity rose to 193 euros/MWh on Thursday, from 190 euros/MWh the day before. Just two days earlier, amidst a severe cold snap, the price had even reached 250 euros/MWh.
Romania was also the most expensive spot market in Europe on Wednesday, although there was a nearly 25% decrease compared to the previous day.
Large Differences Compared to the West and Pressure from Eastern Europe
The price of energy in Romania is almost double that in major Western European markets. In France, energy was traded at 98 euros/MWh, and in Germany at 102 euros/MWh.
High prices, albeit still below Romania's level, were also recorded in Central and Eastern Europe: Hungary (187 euros/MWh), Croatia (174 euros/MWh), Poland (172 euros/MWh), Bulgaria and Serbia (170 euros/MWh), or Austria (172 euros/MWh).
Officials in the region attribute these differences to limited energy transport capacities, especially from Austria to the east.
In Romania, the maximum daily price reached 2,400 lei/MWh for a 15-minute interval.
Record Consumption Amid Prolonged Cold
Electricity consumption reached a peak of 9,119 MW on Tuesday evening at 17:51, the highest in the last four years, while domestic production was only 7,194 MW. The last time Romania exceeded an instantaneous consumption of 9,000 MW was in January 2022, with the record of the last ten years remaining at 9,930 MW in January 2017. Last winter, the maximum was reached on February 19, 2025, with 8,984 MW, as reported by Profit.
The increase in consumption is amplified by the cold wave affecting Romania. The National Meteorological Administration issued several yellow warnings, and the forecast shows minimum temperatures of up to -19 degrees and a prolonged cold episode that could last until mid-February. The very cold weather leads to intense use of heating systems, putting additional pressure on consumption and, consequently, on energy prices.