The average electricity prices for household consumers in the EU rose significantly in the first half of 2022, compared to the similar period in 2021, from 22 euros/100 kWh reaching 25.3 euros/100 kWh, and Romania was among the EU member states with the biggest increases, in national currency, show the data published on Monday by the European Statistics Office (Eurostat).
More recently, wholesale electricity and gas prices have risen substantially in the EU. Energy and supply costs are affected by the current geopolitical situation, the increases being determined in particular by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the first half of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, electricity prices for household consumers increased in 22 EU member states. The most significant advance, expressed in national currency, was in the Czech Republic (62%), Latvia (59%), Denmark (57%), Estonia and Romania (both with 55%), according to Agerpres.
In five EU member countries there were decreases in electricity prices for household consumers: the Netherlands (minus 54%), Slovenia (minus 16%), Poland (minus 3%), Portugal and Hungary (both minus 1%). The declines in the Netherlands, Slovenia and Poland are linked to government subsidies, while in Hungary prices are regulated.
Expressed in euros, the lowest average electricity prices for household consumers in the EU in the first half of 2022 were in the Netherlands (5.9 euros/100 kWh), Hungary (9.5 euros/100 kWh) and Bulgaria ( 10.9 euros/100 kWh), and the highest in Denmark (45.6 euros/100 kWh), Belgium (33.8 euros/100 kWh), Germany (32.8 euros/100 kWh) and Italy (31 .2 euros/100 kWh).
And the average prices for natural gas for household consumers in the EU increased in the first half of 2022, compared to the similar period in 2021, from 6.4 euros/100 kWh to 8.6 euros/100 kWh.
Between the first semester of 2021 and the first semester of 2022, gas prices increased in 23 EU member states for which data are available. The most significant increases in natural gas prices were in Estonia (154%), Lithuania (110%) and Bulgaria (108%). The only EU member state where there was a slight decrease (minus 0.5%) in the price of gas for domestic consumers was Hungary, where prices are regulated.
Expressed in euros, the lowest average prices of natural gas for household consumers in the EU in the first half of 2022 were in Hungary (2.9 euros/100 kWh), Croatia (4.1 euros/100 kWh) and Latvia (4 .6 euro/100 kWh), and the highest in Sweden (22.2 euro/100 kWh), Denmark (16 euro/100 kWh) and the Netherlands (12.9 euro/100 kWh).
Cyprus, Malta and Finland do not report gas prices for household consumers.
Eurostat data also show that in the EU, taxes and excises represented 24% of the electricity price paid by consumers and 27% of the price of natural gas, in the first half of 2022.