Household energy consumption for cooling across the European Union has nearly doubled in just six years, reflecting rising temperatures and increasingly frequent heatwaves, according to EuroNews, citing the latest data from Copernicus.
The trend comes as June 2026 became the hottest June ever recorded in Western Europe and the second warmest globally, while the years 2024, 2023 and 2025 rank as the three hottest on record worldwide.
Cooling Demand Continues to Rise
According to EuroNews, household energy used for cooling in the EU increased from 40.5 thousand terajoules (TJ) in 2018 to 80.4 thousand TJ in 2024, representing a 99% increase.
Compared with 2010, consumption has risen by 420%, highlighting the growing reliance on air conditioning and other cooling technologies across Europe.
The largest percentage increase was recorded in Austria, where cooling-related household energy use rose by more than 1,000%, although the country started from a very low base.
Other significant increases were reported in Czechia (244%), Italy (193%), Hungary (171%), Finland (163%), Spain (127%), Slovenia (114%) and Greece (103%).
Southern Europe Records the Highest Consumption
According to EuroNews, Italy remains the EU’s largest consumer of household energy for cooling, using 26.3 thousand TJ, equivalent to 32.7% of the bloc’s total consumption.
Spain ranked second with 14.3 thousand TJ, while Greece recorded the third-largest share among EU member states.
When EU candidate countries are included, Turkey ranks third overall with 13.6 thousand TJ.
Cyprus devoted the largest share of household energy consumption to cooling at 16%, followed by Malta (15%) and Albania (13.4%).
Heatwaves Put Pressure on Electricity Markets
The growing demand for cooling is also affecting Europe’s electricity system.
According to EuroNews, electricity consumption rose sharply during the June 2026 heatwaves, particularly across the EU’s four largest economies.
France’s electricity grid operator, RTE, estimates that every 1°C increase in temperature adds between 0.7 GW and 1 GW of electricity demand, with cooling accounting for an additional 10–14 GW during the hottest periods.
Wholesale electricity prices exceeded €200/MWh in Germany, approached €160/MWh in France and surpassed €110/MWh in Spain, driven by increased cooling demand alongside lower renewable generation and temporary reductions in French nuclear output.
EuroNews notes that Europe is currently warming twice as fast as the global average, making rising energy demand for cooling an increasingly significant challenge for both households and electricity systems.
Photo: kotkoa/ magnific.com
