What a negative price means
A negative day-ahead price means that producers pay to deliver electricity in that period and buyers are paid to take it. The price is set in the daily European auction for the following day and can go as low as −500 €/MWh.
Why prices fall below zero
Negative prices appear when more electricity is offered than consumers need – typically around midday on sunny weekends and public holidays, or on windy nights. Solar and wind plants cost almost nothing to run, and many still receive support payments when the market price is negative, so they keep producing.
Some power stations cannot ramp down quickly, and exports are limited by the capacity of cross-border lines. When batteries and flexible demand cannot absorb the surplus, the price keeps falling until enough supply is withdrawn.
Negative prices in the last 12 months
Hours with a negative day-ahead price per bidding zone (quarter-hours counted as a quarter of an hour), lowest price and most recent day with negative prices.
In the last 12 months the day-ahead price in Germany & Luxembourg was below zero for 476 hours on 96 days. The lowest price was -€499.99/MWh (1 May 2026, 13:15).
| Bidding zone | Hours below zero | Days | Lowest €/MWh | Most recent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Spain | 692 | 118 | -10 | 10 Oct 2026 |
 Portugal | 539 | 101 | -10 | 10 Oct 2026 |
 France | 538 | 114 | -499 | 10 Oct 2026 |
 Germany & Luxembourg | 476 | 96 | -500 | 10 Oct 2026 |
 Netherlands | 405 | 90 | -500 | 10 Oct 2026 |
 Belgium | 310 | 74 | -499 | 10 Oct 2026 |
 Poland | 304 | 82 | -490 | 9 Oct 2026 |
 Czechia | 281 | 64 | -500 | 9 Oct 2026 |
 Austria | 254 | 63 | -499 | 28 Sept 2026 |
 Switzerland | 239 | 48 | -464 | 27 Sept 2026 |
 Slovenia | 237 | 56 | -486 | 27 Sept 2026 |
 Hungary | 224 | 54 | -500 | 27 Sept 2026 |
 West Denmark (DK1) | 207 | 47 | -42 | 10 Oct 2026 |
 Sweden (Malmö, SE4) | 128 | 28 | -16 | 19 Sept 2026 |
| Sweden (Stockholm, SE3) | 117 | 30 | -14 | 13 Oct 2026 |
 Great Britain | 106 | 17 | -48 | 20 Sept 2026 |
| East Denmark (DK2) | 93 | 22 | -16 | 19 Sept 2026 |
 Norway (South-West, NO2) | 55 | 23 | -35 | 27 Sept 2026 |
 Italy (North) | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
Official day-ahead prices of the European market coupling: hourly until September 2025, quarter-hourly since October 2025. Figures calculated by us.
Do households benefit?
Only on a dynamic tariff that follows the day-ahead price. Even then, network charges, taxes and levies are added per kWh, so your final price usually stays above zero – it is simply much lower than normal. Some suppliers pass negative prices on in full or pay a bonus for using power in those hours.
On a fixed-price contract negative prices do not change your bill directly. They do show where the system needs flexibility: batteries, heat pumps and electric cars that can move their consumption.
What it means for solar owners
If you sell solar power at market prices, negative hours cost money. In several countries newer installations no longer receive a feed-in payment while the price is negative – in Germany this applies to systems installed since February 2025. Using the power yourself, storing it or limiting exports in those hours pays off.
Luxembourg