Wholesale electricity prices for summer 2026 are trading well above where they were when most commercial contracts were signed in 2023 and 2024. If your contract is expiring soon, what you're about to see at renewal may be a significant 20–40%+ increase for many businesses. For a typical commercial customer, that translates to thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars a year.
Here's what's driving it, and what you should do right now.
Three things are colliding at once this summer:
This isn't a problem for this summer alone. The underlying drivers point to elevated prices for the next two to three years, so longer-term contracts are worth looking into.
Electricity prices historically rise as summer approaches. Waiting until June to act doesn't give you more options, it gives you fewer, at worse prices. If your contract is expiring and you do nothing, you'll be repriced at today's market. That's the worst possible timing.
The window to act is April and May. There are still options on the table: fixed-price contracts, partial hedges and index products can all reduce your exposure. But the options shrink as summer gets closer, and so does your leverage.
If you don't know exactly when your contract expires, find out today. If it's expiring before or during summer 2026, you're in the window where acting now almost always costs less than acting later.
Energy CX works with commercial and industrial buyers to evaluate current market conditions, model the risk of different contract structures, and execute when the timing is right. If you want to understand what the current market means for your specific situation, book a meeting with an Energy CX expert today.