Developing Custom Alerts and Notifications with Energy API: A Practical Guide for Developers

Developing Custom Alerts and Notifications with Energy API: A Practical Guide for Developers

Introduction

In the fast-paced world of energy trading and data analysis, developers face significant challenges when it comes to accessing reliable market data. Traditional methods often involve scraping government portals or stitching together incompatible formats from various sources, which can be time-consuming and error-prone. This is where the Energy API comes into play, providing a unified REST API that aggregates wholesale energy market data from trusted sources like OMIE, ENTSO-E, EIA, and more.

This blog post aims to guide developers through the process of creating custom alerts and notifications using the Energy API. By leveraging its powerful endpoints, developers can build applications that monitor energy prices, track fluctuations, and provide real-time insights into market trends. Whether you're an energy trader, data engineer, or part of a fintech team, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to harness the full potential of the Energy API.

Why Energy API

The Energy API stands out in the crowded landscape of energy data providers for several reasons:

  • Unified Data Format: The Energy API normalizes data from multiple sources into a single JSON interface. This means developers can avoid the hassle of dealing with different formats, schedules, and naming conventions, allowing for faster integration and development.
  • Comprehensive Coverage: With over 39 symbols across six commodity categories—electricity, natural gas, crude oil, coal, carbon allowances, and grid carbon intensity—the Energy API provides a holistic view of the energy market. Developers can query multiple commodities in a single API call, streamlining their data retrieval processes.
  • Rich Endpoints: The API offers 16 endpoints that cover a wide range of functionalities, including spot prices, historical data, intraday curves, and cost estimates. This extensive feature set enables developers to build sophisticated applications without extensive ETL work.
  • Trusted Data Providers: The Energy API aggregates data from reputable sources, ensuring that the information is accurate and reliable. This trustworthiness is crucial for developers who need to make informed decisions based on real-time data.

Quick Start

To get started with the Energy API, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the base URL and how to make your first request.

Base URL: https://energy-api.com/api/v1

Authentication: The API uses an api_key query parameter for authentication.

First Request: Let's make a simple request to retrieve the latest prices for Brent Crude and TTF Gas.

curl -G https://energy-api.com/api/v1/latest \
--data-urlencode "symbols=BRENT_CRUDE,TTF_GAS" \
--data-urlencode "api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Sample JSON Response:

{
"success": true,
"date": "2026-06-11",
"base": "MIXED",
"rates": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": 74.82,
"TTF_GAS": 38.15
},
"dates": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": "2026-06-11",
"TTF_GAS": "2026-06-11"
},
"currencies": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": "USD",
"TTF_GAS": "EUR"
}
}

This response indicates a successful request, providing the latest prices for Brent Crude and TTF Gas along with their respective currencies and the date of the data.

Core Endpoints

Now that you have a basic understanding of how to make requests, let's explore some core endpoints that are particularly relevant for developing custom alerts and notifications.

1. GET /latest

This endpoint retrieves the most recent price for one or more symbols.

Key Params: symbols (required), base (optional)

curl -G https://energy-api.com/api/v1/latest \
--data-urlencode "symbols=BRENT_CRUDE,TTF_GAS,EUA_CO2" \
--data-urlencode "api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Sample JSON Response:

{
"success": true,
"date": "2026-06-11",
"base": "MIXED",
"rates": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": 74.82,
"TTF_GAS": 38.15,
"EUA_CO2": 67.40
},
"dates": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": "2026-06-11",
"TTF_GAS": "2026-06-11",
"EUA_CO2": "2026-06-11"
},
"currencies": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": "USD",
"TTF_GAS": "EUR",
"EUA_CO2": "EUR"
}
}

Field Explanation: The rates object contains the latest prices for each symbol requested. This endpoint is ideal for setting up price alerts, as you can easily monitor changes in real-time.

2. GET /historical

This endpoint provides prices for all symbols on a specific past date.

Key Params: date (YYYY-MM-DD, required), symbols (required), base (optional)

curl -G https://energy-api.com/api/v1/historical \
--data-urlencode "date=2025-09-15" \
--data-urlencode "symbols=BRENT_CRUDE,TTF_GAS" \
--data-urlencode "api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Sample JSON Response:

{
"success": true,
"date": "2025-09-15",
"base": "MIXED",
"rates": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": 71.45,
"TTF_GAS": 36.20
},
"currencies": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": "USD",
"TTF_GAS": "EUR"
}
}

Field Explanation: This response provides historical prices for the specified date, which can be useful for trend analysis and backtesting trading strategies.

3. GET /timeseries

This endpoint retrieves historical series between two dates, ideal for charting and trend analysis.

Key Params: start (required), end (required), symbols (required), base (optional)

curl -G https://energy-api.com/api/v1/timeseries \
--data-urlencode "start=2025-01-01" \
--data-urlencode "end=2025-03-31" \
--data-urlencode "symbols=BRENT_CRUDE,TTF_GAS" \
--data-urlencode "api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Sample JSON Response:

{
"success": true,
"base": "MIXED",
"start_date": "2025-01-01",
"end_date": "2025-03-31",
"rates": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": {
"2025-01-02": 76.30,
"2025-01-03": 75.90
},
"TTF_GAS": {
"2025-01-02": 46.80,
"2025-01-03": 47.10
}
},
"frequencies": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": "daily",
"TTF_GAS": "daily"
},
"currencies": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": "USD",
"TTF_GAS": "EUR"
}
}

Field Explanation: The rates object contains historical prices keyed by date, allowing for detailed analysis of price trends over time.

4. GET /fluctuation

This endpoint provides start/end values, absolute change, and percentage change over a specified period.

Key Params: start (required), end (required), symbols (required), base (optional)

curl -G https://energy-api.com/api/v1/fluctuation \
--data-urlencode "start=2025-01-01" \
--data-urlencode "end=2025-01-31" \
--data-urlencode "symbols=BRENT_CRUDE,TTF_GAS" \
--data-urlencode "api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Sample JSON Response:

{
"success": true,
"fluctuations": {
"BRENT_CRUDE": {
"start_value": 76.30,
"end_value": 75.90,
"change": -0.40,
"change_pct": -0.52
},
"TTF_GAS": {
"start_value": 46.80,
"end_value": 47.10,
"change": 0.30,
"change_pct": 0.64
}
}
}

Field Explanation: The fluctuations object provides insights into price changes over the specified period, which is essential for alert systems that notify users of significant market movements.

Real-World Use Cases

Now that we've covered the core endpoints, let's explore some real-world use cases where developers can leverage the Energy API to build impactful applications.

1. Price Alert System

Developers can create a price alert system that monitors specific energy prices and sends notifications when they reach predefined thresholds. By using the /latest endpoint, the application can check for price changes at regular intervals and trigger alerts accordingly.

2. ESG Dashboard

For teams focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics, the Energy API can provide real-time data on carbon intensity and emissions. By utilizing the /carbon-intensity endpoint, developers can build dashboards that visualize carbon emissions and track progress toward sustainability goals.

3. Cost Calculator

Utilities and businesses can implement a cost calculator that estimates monthly energy expenses based on current prices. By using the /cost-estimate endpoint, developers can input usage data and receive accurate cost projections, helping users make informed decisions about their energy consumption.

FAQ

How often does the TTF gas price update?

The TTF gas price updates daily, reflecting the most recent market data available from the Energy API. Developers can use the /latest endpoint to retrieve the most current price at any time.

Can I get historical energy prices going back 5 years?

Yes, the Energy API allows you to access historical prices for various symbols. By using the /historical and /timeseries endpoints, developers can retrieve data for specific dates or ranges, enabling comprehensive analysis of price trends over time.

Does the API support multiple currencies?

Absolutely! The Energy API supports multiple currencies for different commodities. When making requests, developers can specify the base parameter to filter results based on their preferred currency.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Energy API provides a powerful and flexible solution for developers looking to access reliable energy market data without the complexities of traditional methods. By leveraging its comprehensive endpoints, developers can build applications that monitor prices, analyze trends, and provide valuable insights into the energy market.

Whether you're building a price alert system, an ESG dashboard, or a cost calculator, the Energy API offers the tools you need to succeed. Don't waste time scraping data or dealing with incompatible formats—try Energy API for free and experience the benefits of streamlined energy data access today!

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