EU household cooling energy doubled in six years, Eurostat data shows

Energy consumed by EU households for cooling doubled between 2018 and 2024, reaching 80,400 terajoules, according to data published by Eurostat on Tuesday. The surge underscores the growing strain on European energy infrastructure as the continent grapples with its hottest June on record for Western Europe, which sent wholesale electricity prices to levels not seen since the 2022 energy crisis.eunews+2

A Continent Reaching for the Thermostat

Eurostat's figures show household cooling energy use rose from 40,500 terajoules in 2018 to 80,400 terajoules in 2024, increasing every year except for modest dips in 2020 and 2023. Italy recorded the highest absolute consumption at 26,300 terajoules, followed by Spain at 14,300 and Greece at 11,900. Cyprus and Malta, meanwhile, devoted the largest share of household energy to cooling — 16% and 15% respectively.brusselstimes+1

The data arrived alongside a Copernicus Climate Change Service bulletin confirming that June 2026 was Western Europe's warmest June on record, with average temperatures of 20.74°C — more than 3°C above the 1991-2020 baseline, according to Reuters. Globally, June 2026 was the second-warmest on record. France recorded its hottest day ever on three consecutive days during the month, and scientists estimated more than 2,700 heat-related deaths in France alone.reuters+3

Price Spikes Expose Grid Vulnerabilities

The late-June heatwave drove electricity prices sharply higher. According to energy data provider Ember, average weekly wholesale prices in Europe climbed from below €95/MWh at the start of June to €115/MWh by month's end. On June 28, Romania's day-ahead price reached €224/MWh — the highest in Europe — with Hungary close behind at €223/MWh. In Belgium, the wholesale price briefly exceeded €1,000/MWh on the evening of June 24.gmk+3

The climate group 350.org estimated that the heatwave added more than €700 million to electricity bills in France and Germany in a single week from June 21–27. Cooling demand ate into record solar power output, while reduced nuclear and gas availability tightened supply across the continent.energymarketprice+2

Infrastructure Under Mounting Pressure

Europe's installed energy storage capacity surpassed its nuclear fleet for the first time in the second quarter of 2026, reaching beyond 105 GW. Yet the June price shocks revealed that storage and solar alone cannot compensate for evening demand spikes when cooling loads remain high and dispatchable generation is constrained.pv-magazine+1

With another heatwave building over parts of Europe this week, the pattern that doubled cooling demand over six years shows little sign of reversing.nytimes