According to data from Eurostat, 13 European countries have lower energy prices for the household consumer than Romania, most of them also having higher average net salaries.
Eurostat analyzes the prices in euro for a household with an average consumption of between 2,500 and 5,000 kWh annual, for each year publishing the average in the first half, according zf.ro.
In 2015, a household in Romania was paying more for energy than in Estonia, Czech Republic, Malta and Hungary. In the next period it is expected that the prices paid by household consumers to rise given that the market is in the process of implementation of the liberalization schedule through which the regulated tariffs are dropped.
While the net average salary in Romania is about 463 euros, in Estonia, according to existing data, it is 903 euros, 793 euros in the Czech Republic, Malta 1,000 euros and 570 euros in Hungary.
Furthermore, Hungary is one of the main energy export destinations, along with Bulgaria and countries such as Malta are totally dependent on energy imports.
The energy market is in full opening, with more private traders, but also companies from other fields of activity being interested to become energy suppliers for households.
The only European countries where the energy is cheaper, but where the wages are lower than those in Romania are Bulgaria, Moldova, Albania, Bosnia and Hertegovina, Kosovo and Serbia. Similar cases are found regarding the gasoline and diesel prices. A liter of diesel is more expensive here than in Luxembourg, Austria or Spain, states with average net salaries significantly higher than those in Romania. For example, a Luxembourg habitant, is leaving for home monthly with about 3,150 euros, an Austrian with 2.124 euros and a Spaniard with more than 1,750 euros. The only country where diesel costs less than in Romania and where wages are lower is Bulgaria.
The gasoline situation is the same, the fuel is more expensive here than in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Poland and Bulgaria. Again, Bulgaria is the only country where the average net wage is lower than in Romania.
Further, the consumers in Romania have the cheapest gas, the local market is fully supplied by domestic production.