Key facts
- EU household energy consumption for cooling doubled from 2018 to 2024, rising from 40.5 thousand TJ to 80.4 thousand TJ.
- Austria saw the largest percentage increase in cooling energy use (over 1,000%) between 2018 and 2024.
- Cyprus uses the highest share of household energy for cooling (16%), followed by Malta (15%) and Albania (13.4%).
- Italy has the highest absolute energy consumption for cooling in the EU (26.3 thousand TJ) and accounts for 32.7% of the EU total.
- June 2026 heatwaves led to significant spikes in wholesale electricity prices across major European economies.
Europe's energy consumption for cooling has doubled in the last six years, driven by record-breaking global temperatures and frequent heatwaves. Household energy use for cooling in the EU increased from 40.5 thousand terajoules (TJ) in 2018 to 80.4 thousand TJ in 2024, a near 99% rise. Over a 14-year period, from 2010 to 2024, consumption surged by 420% from 15.5 thousand TJ.
While the overall EU average share of household energy for cooling was 0.84% in 2024, the figure is significantly higher in some countries. Cyprus leads with 16% of its household energy dedicated to cooling, followed by Malta at 15% and Albania at 13.4%. Greece uses 7.4% for cooling, with Spain and Italy also showing substantial shares above 2%.
Italy consumes the most energy for cooling in absolute terms, accounting for 26.3 thousand TJ and nearly a third of the EU's total. Spain follows with 14.3 thousand TJ. The increases vary widely by country; Austria saw a remarkable rise of over 1,000% in cooling energy consumption between 2018 and 2024, from 22 TJ to 253 TJ. Czechia experienced a 244% increase, and Italy saw a 193% rise, indicating growing demand even in regions where air conditioning is already common.
These rising cooling demands are significantly impacting Europe's electricity market. During the June 2026 heatwaves, electricity demand surged in the EU's largest economies, with France's grid operator RTE estimating that each 1°C rise adds 0.7 GW to 1 GW of demand, with cooling contributing an additional 10 to 14 GW on hot days. This surge in demand, coupled with constrained supply from factors like weak wind generation and temporary French nuclear output cuts, pushed wholesale power prices sharply higher, exceeding €200/MWh in Germany and €160/MWh in France.
Europe is warming at twice the global average rate, making cooling a growing concern for energy infrastructure and policy. The continent's rapid warming trend underscores the increasing importance of managing energy demand for cooling.