This Monday, June 29, the average electricity price in the wholesale market stands at 83.51 euros per MWh, but the range is enormous. Between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM, the cost drops to just 5.10 euros, while from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM it soars to 144.96 euros. For the citizen's wallet, this implies a clear strategy: run the washing machine at noon and turn everything off at sunset.
The technical challenge of managing hourly demand peaks ⚡
This price difference reflects a structural problem in the power grid: renewable generation, such as solar, saturates the system at noon, while at dusk demand grows and gas plants must start up to cover the peak. Storage systems, such as batteries or pumped hydro, are the technical solution to smooth out these jumps. Without them, the consumer pays for the market's lack of flexibility, which passes every imbalance on to the final price.
Tip of the day: dine by candlelight to save 🕯️
So now you know: if you want to save, schedule the oven for eleven in the morning and leave your phone charging in the electric car at noon. But at nine at night, it's time to turn everything off and remember how our grandparents lived, who didn't have WiFi either but slept more peacefully. Your bill will thank you, even if you have to explain to the neighbor why you're washing dishes at eleven thirty.