Electricity prices on the wholesale market: live monitoring

According to the Epex / Spot exchange, today, 15 october of 2024, the Spot price of electricity is 71,03€ per MWh, whereas yesterday it was 89,35€ per MWh. As a reference point, the Spot price was set at 29,96€ a month ago and 52,63€ 12 months ago. The Spot price of electricity reached a record high on 30 August 2022 at €743.84 per MWh. Tomorrow, the Spot price will be € per MWh.

Electricity prices on the wholesale market on live

Here is the electricity price on the Epex / Spot market. The price of a MWh of electricity on the wholesale market is 71,03€. Prices are updated every day at 1.30pm:

Source : Nord Pool Group - mis à jour manuellement le 15/10/2024

Electricity price trends on wholesale markets

Source : Selectra

The SPOT price for electricity has been close to EDF's ARENH price between 2012 and 2020 (€42/MWh), before rising sharply from 2021.

Source : EEX - Table : en.selectra.info

2022 : Record of the electricity prices on the wholesale market

In 2022, the energy markets were the scene of exceptional events, following a record 329% rise in electricity prices in 2021. Average spot electricity prices in 2022 reached €275.9/MWh, an increase of 153% compared with 2021. Factors such as corrosion problems at French nuclear power stations, tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and the summer drought have all contributed to this surge in prices.

The peak was reached on 30 August 2022, with a record spot price of €743.84/MWh. The closure of nuclear reactors, international tensions and a fall in hydroelectricity production exposed France to rising gas prices.

However, on 30 December 2022, spot prices fell to €4.38/MWh due to high temperatures, lower consumption as a result of energy saving efforts, high wind generation and the rapid restart of French power stations.

The year was characterised by price instability, starting with tensions linked to the French nuclear fleet and the gas crisis in Europe. The Russia-Ukraine conflict in February led to a rapid rise in prices, peaking at €540.7/MWh in March. A period of tension followed, with an exceptional peak of €2,990/MWh in April, triggering a review of price cap mechanisms.

The following months were marked by concerns about high gas prices, summer heat increasing electricity demand, and worries about energy stocks. Spot prices peaked on 30 August.

The autumn brought an improvement in conditions, with a reduction in consumption and a more abundant supply of gas. However, early December saw some price volatility as demand for heating increased. Although the situation was less extreme, it highlighted the fragility of the electricity market in the face of various factors.

2021 : the drastic rise in electricity prices on the wholesale market

In 2021, the post-COVID economic recovery marked the start of a crisis in the energy market. Events such as the late certification of Nord Stream 2, the arrival of the variant Omicron, Russia-Ukraine tensions and the extended closure of nuclear reactors by EDF contributed to a sharp rise in electricity prices in the last quarter of 2021.

Average spot prices rose dramatically to €109.2/MWh, an increase of 239% compared with 2020. On 22 December 2021, electricity prices peaked at €452.94/MWh, following the discovery of corrosion in French reactors.

The gas crisis in Europe has also had a significant impact on electricity production costs, with higher gas prices and CO2 quotas. Spot prices began to rise in the first half of 2021, influenced by escalating commodity prices, changes in consumption and weather conditions. Summer tensions persisted, with daily records in most European countries.

The last two months of 2021 saw a worsening of the energy crisis in France, with average prices of €217/MWh in November and €274.6/MWh in December. France has had to import more because of lower nuclear output, less wind power and low hydro stocks, in the face of rising demand due to cold temperatures.

2020 : The electricity wholesale market affected by the Covid 19 crisis

In 2020, the electricity market was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a significant fall in demand and spot prices. The consequence was a reduction in nuclear production, while renewable energies recorded an increase in production. During the first containment, spot prices reached exceptionally low levels, with even moments of negative prices.

After containment, spot prices gradually rose, but tensions emerged in September 2020 due to extended maintenance on nuclear units and environmental constraints on thermal power plants. This led to spikes in spot prices, sometimes exceeding €100/MWh. In December 2020, colder-than-normal temperatures boosted energy demand, causing spot prices to rise again.

Intraday prices followed the trend in spot prices, confirming a general fall in electricity costs throughout 2020. In 2021, a record 329% rise in electricity prices was recorded on the markets, underlining the importance of resilient and sustainable energy policies on a global scale. The exceptional events on the energy markets in 2022 have reinforced this need.

What is the wholesale electricity market ?

The wholesale electricity market is the market on which electricity is bought and sold before being made available to end customers (individuals or businesses) on the electricity grid. The market evolves according to two indicators:

• Supply: before the electricity is released onto the grid ;
• Demand: downstream, from the moment the electricity leaves the public network.

The wholesale market is opposed to the retail market. The retail electricity market is the one that is accessible to end customers. It is directly concerned with individuals and businesses through electricity offers.

Here are the 5 cheapest electricity offers in the market in october of 2024 :

⚡ Which electricity provider is the cheapest in base option ?

Electricity provider	Electricity offer	Yearly price incl. VAT	Savings vs regulated tariff*	Subscription price (€/yr)	kWh price
	PRUDENCE ✔️ Renewable energy! 🔐 Fixed rates! 4/5	Estimated cost 1933 €	You save 608 €	149.06 €	0.1878 €
	ELECTRICITÉ 100% VERTE PRIX FIXE ✔️ Renewable energy! 🔐 Fixed rates! 2.6/5	Estimated cost 1944 €	You save 598 €	198.43 €	0.1837 €
	ONLINE & GREEN ✔️ Renewable energy! 🔐 Fixed rates! 3.7/5	Estimated cost 1956 €	You save 586 €	166.91 €	0.1883 €
	C5 BLEU PARTICULIER 🔐 Fixed rates! 3.5/5	Estimated cost 1980 €	You save 562 €	150.78 €	0.1925 €
	ÉLECTRICITÉ VERTE 100% FRANÇAISE ✔️ Renewable energy! 🔐 Fixed rates! 2.7/5	Estimated cost 1995 €	You save 546 €	164.25 €	0.1927 €

^*Tariffs updated on 15/10/2024. Cost calculated for a yearly consumption of 9500 kWh in base option (6 kVA)

Who are the players on the wholesale electricity market ?

The wholesale electricity market is reserved for professionals only. There are four types of player:

1. Electricity producers ;
2. Traders ;
3. Suppliers ;
4. Load shedding operators.

They interact with each other in the following way :

1. Producers sell the electricity generated by their facilities ;
2. Traders act as intermediaries between producers and suppliers ;
3. Electricity suppliers buy electricity on the wholesale market from producers or traders in order to supply their customers ;
4. Load shedding operators value the electricity that has not been purchased: avoided consumption.

Sometimes, an electricity supplier is also an electricity producer. These are what are known as "integrated companies". The electricity they inject is not traded on the wholesale market.

What exchanges are possible on the wholesale electricity market ?

There are several types and venues for trading on the wholesale electricity market. Transactions on the wholesale electricity market can be :

• Physical: electricity is delivered directly to the grid ;
• Financial: electricity is exchanged for a sum of money.

These transactions can be carried out :

• On the over-the-counter market: the transaction does not require an intermediary and is carried out directly between the producer and the supplier ;
• On the intermediated OTC market: the transaction is carried out through a trader who manages the negotiations ;
• On digital exchanges (Epex Spot France for spot products and EEX Power Derivatives France for future products): electricity is traded on a platform where the various players negotiate the sale and purchase of electricity.

What are the two products on the wholesale electricity market ?

There are two products on the wholesale electricity market :

1. Spot products ;
2. Forward products.

Spot products

Depending on the market, spot products can be :

• For intraday trading, either half-hourly, hourly or in blocks of several hours, with same-day delivery ;
• For the daily maturity, hourly products with next-day delivery. These products are the reference prices in France for the electricity market.

The reference price for the electricity market in France is the price of the Day-ahead product on the EPEX SPOT exchange. They are calculated by designated operators and set each day between 12:30 and 13:00 by a joint auction mechanism reflecting the supply-demand balance at that time. They are negotiated the day before for delivery on the following day.

These short-term prices are unstable, firstly because it is impossible to store electricity on a large scale (a high level of supply at one point in time cannot be used to balance a high level of demand in the future) and, secondly, because the factors influencing the supply-demand balance are numerous and can vary greatly. This is particularly true of weather conditions, since cold weather, for example, increases demand, or of the various events that occur in the electricity system, such as power station breakdowns.

Forward products

Producers, traders and suppliers potentially enter into sale/purchase contracts for the future. The price is negotiated at the time the contract is signed, but delivery may take place in days, weeks, months, quarters or even years to come. These are known as forward contracts or forward products.

The prices of futures products are less subject to volatility than the prices of spot products, as they are based on an average of anticipated prices for the period in question. Negotiated prices are generally used by electricity suppliers as a basis for defining the terms and conditions of their offers. This is because suppliers generally prepare most of their deliveries according to their production capacity, but also by buying the necessary forward products.