en.Wedoany.com Reported - The heatwave has spurred a surge in home appliance sales across Europe. Alexandre Bompard, CEO of French retail giant Carrefour, revealed on Monday that as of 6:30 p.m. that day, the company had sold 30,000 air conditioning units, approximately a thousand times the average daily sales volume.
The power supply side is also under pressure. French utility EDF announced on Monday that water temperatures in the Garonne River had risen significantly due to the heat. As a precautionary measure, Unit 2 of the Golfech nuclear power plant was shut down at 11:45 p.m. on Monday. Unit 1 had previously been taken offline for maintenance and refueling. Tightening power supply, combined with surging demand driven by high temperatures, pushed French spot electricity prices to 136 euros per megawatt-hour on Tuesday, further climbing to 158 euros per megawatt-hour on Wednesday. The forward market quickly exhibited an extreme backwardation pattern, with one-year futures falling to 56.4 euros per megawatt-hour on Wednesday, suggesting prices may decline later.
Germany is also facing a heatwave impact, with spot electricity prices rising to 208 euros per megawatt-hour on Wednesday, while futures prices remained stable at 93 euros per megawatt-hour. TTF natural gas prices have barely moved this week, holding at 42 euros per megawatt-hour. Data from market research firms GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) showed that Germany's July consumer confidence index edged up 0.5 points to -29.2. A macroeconomic analyst noted that this improvement may be influenced by the heatwave, with Germany's air conditioning penetration rate expected to rise from 13% last year to 19%.
The UK experienced extreme heat on Wednesday, making June one of the hottest months in the country's modern history. The high temperatures not only boosted daytime electricity demand but also drove nighttime use of air conditioners and televisions—most World Cup matches were delayed due to the time difference with the United States, leading many schools to dismiss students before 3:30 p.m. On Tuesday, the England vs. Ghana match kicked off at 9:00 p.m. local time, with many fans heading home two hours early, causing a peak in electricity demand at 7:30 p.m. and pushing UK spot electricity prices to 561 pounds per megawatt-hour. At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, another peak occurred after a day of intense heat, with spot prices reaching 240 pounds per megawatt-hour. The UK's air conditioning penetration rate is only 14% to 15%, far below the European average. This week, electronics retail chain Currys reported that searches for fans on its website surged nearly 1,500% compared to the previous weekend, while searches for air conditioning products soared 3,500%.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
