Dutch households used far more electricity during heatwave, driven by air conditioning

Dutch households consumed substantially more electricity during the recent heatwave than they typically do on cooler days, according to energy supplier Essent. The higher demand was driven by widespread use of fans and air conditioning, along with refrigerators working harder to keep food cool. Evening electricity consumption was as much as 50 percent higher than normal, a surge that Essent largely attributes to the growing number of air conditioners installed in homes in recent years.

To assess the impact of the heatwave, Essent compared customers' net electricity use on June 25, when temperatures in De Bilt climbed to 32 degrees Celsius, with June 16, when the temperature was 23 degrees.

According to the energy supplier, daytime comparisons are complicated by fluctuations in households' solar power generation and self-consumption. Once the sun goes down, however, solar energy contributes very little, leaving higher temperatures as the primary reason for the increase in electricity demand.

Essent advises households with solar panels to run air conditioning during the day so they can make the most of the electricity they generate themselves rather than exporting it to the grid. The same strategy can also save money for customers on dynamic electricity tariffs, as wholesale electricity prices typically rise in the evening when demand reaches its highest levels.

According to Essent, the recent heatwave also fueled demand for new air conditioning systems. Its service partner, Volta NXT, reported that requests in June were more than 60 percent higher than in May.