3.3 How much does the energy we consume cost?

Electricity prices for households highest in Denmark and Germany

In order to compare prices of electricity and gas among the Member States, national prices have been converted into euro. Exchange rate fluctuations can have an effect on prices expressed in euro for non-euro area Member States.

For medium size household consumers, electricity prices including taxes and levies were the highest in the first semester of 2017 in Denmark and Germany (both EUR 0.30 per kWh) and Belgium (EUR 0.28 per kWh), while the lowest prices were recorded in Bulgaria (EUR 0.10 per kWh), Lithuania and Hungary (both EUR 0.11 per kWh). It should however be noted that over half of the electricity price in Denmark and Germany consists of taxes and levies, and a third in Belgium. Furthermore, in Bulgaria taxes and levies account for 17 %, in Lithuania for 30 % and in Hungary for 21 %.

For medium size household consumers, natural gas prices including taxes and levies were highest in the first semester of 2017 in Sweden (EUR 0.12 per kWh), Denmark, the Netherlands and Portugal (all EUR 0.08 per kWh) and lowest in Bulgaria and Romania (both EUR 0.03 per kWh).Taxes and levies make up 55 % of gas prices in Denmark, 53 % in the Netherlands, 47 % in Romania and 44 % in Sweden, however around a quarter in Portugal and 17 % in Bulgaria.

Gas prices for industrial consumers highest in Finland and Sweden

For industrial consumers, electricity prices (excluding VAT and other recoverable taxes and levies) in the first semester of 2017 ranged from EUR 0.15 per kWh in Italy and Germany to EUR 0.06 per kWh in Sweden.

For industrial consumers, natural gas prices (excluding VAT and other recoverable taxes and levies) in the first semester of 2017 were highest in Finland (EUR 0.046 per kWh) and Sweden (EUR 0.041 per kWh) and lowest in Bulgaria (EUR 0.022 per kWh).

For petrol, diesel and heating oil prices, see the Oil bulletin of the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission.