Average electricity prices for household consumers in the EU continued to increase significantly in the second half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, from 23.5 euros/100 kWh to 28.4 euros/100 kWh, and Romania is the member state of the EU with the most significant advance, in national currency, shows the data published on Wednesday by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat).

These are the highest prices since Eurostat statistics were first published, according to Agerpres.

After a major price increase that started before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but rose significantly in the second half of 2022, electricity and natural gas prices have recently shown signs of stabilization, partly due to policies and interventions by EU governments. EU member states have opted for various measures, such as tax and duty reductions, temporary tax exemptions for consumers, price caps or the allocation of vouchers to end consumers, while some countries have applied regulated prices.

Compared to the second semester of 2021, the share of taxes in the electricity bill decreased significantly, from 36% to 16% (minus 18.3%), and in the gas bill from 27% to 14% (minus 15.8% ), all EU member states adopting government subsidies and tax cuts to offset high energy prices. These government measures, although they have reduced energy prices for final consumers, represent a burden on budgets.

In the second half of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, electricity prices for household consumers increased in 25 EU Member States. The most significant advance, expressed in national currency, was in Romania (112%), the Czech Republic (97%), Denmark (70%), Lithuania (65%) and Latvia (59%), and the lowest in Luxembourg ( 3%), Austria and Germany (both with 4%), Poland and Bulgaria (both with 5%).

Expressed in euros, the lowest average electricity prices for household consumers in the EU in the second half of 2022 were in Hungary (10.8 euros/100 kWh), Bulgaria (11.5 euros/100 kWh) and Malta (12, 8 euros/100 kWh), and the highest in Denmark (58.7 euros/100 kWh), Belgium (44.9 euros/100 kWh) and Ireland (42 euros/100 kWh).

And the average prices for natural gas for household consumers in the EU also increased in the second half of 2022, compared to the similar period in 2021, from 7.8 euros/100 kWh to 11.4 euros/100 kWh. These are also the highest prices since Eurostat statistics were published.

Between the second semester of 2021 and the second semester of 2022, gas prices increased in all 27 EU member states. The most significant advance, expressed in national currency, was in the Czech Republic (231%), followed by Romania (165%), Latvia (157%), Lithuania (112%) and Belgium (102%). Only two countries had growth below 20%: Croatia (14%) and Slovakia (18%).