The average price of electricity in peak hours (9:00-22: 00) on the spot market of the OPCOM centralized market rose on Friday to more than 340 lei per MWh, 40% up from 31 July, respectively 243 lei per MWh, show data posted on the operator’s website.

As for the average price over the entire interval (1-24), it increased by 45% compared to the end of July, from 210.29 lei per MWh, to 306.82 lei per MWh.

Compared to the levels one year ago, on August 31, today’s quotas are significantly lower. In 2017, the average electricity price during peak hours was 382.39 lei per MWh, up by 12.4%, while the average for the whole day was 308,82 lei per MWh (up by 0.65%).

The price has been rising steadily in August, amid the low-energy production from renewable sources, with the exception of hydro, but also driven by rising consumption, according to Agerpres.

Energy has also been more expensive in the countries in the region with which Romania is coupled on the spot market. On Friday, prices were lowest in Romania (66 euros per MWh) and the Czech Republic (65.69 euros per MWh), while in Hungary they reached 67.04 euros per MWh, and in Slovakia 66.55 euro per MWh. One year ago, the highest prices were recorded in Romania and Hungary (67.17 euros per MWh), far above the levels in the Czech Republic (39.04 euro per MWh) and Slovakia (52.69 euro per MWh).