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 second semester of 2018 in Denmark (EUR 0.31 per kWh), Germany (EUR 0.30 per kWh) and Belgium (EUR 0.29 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 second semester of 2018 in Sweden (EUR 0.12 per kWh), Italy (EUR 0.10 per kWh), Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands (all EUR 0.09 per kWh) and lowest in Hungary (EUR 0.03 per kWh).Taxes and levies make up 54 % of gas prices in Denmark, 52 % in the Netherlands, 42 % in Sweden and 35 % in Italy and around a fifth in Spain and Hungary.

Gas prices for non-household consumers highest in Finland and Sweden

For non-household consumers, electricity prices (excluding VAT and other recoverable taxes and levies) in the second semester of 2018 ranged from EUR 0.17 per kWh in Cyprus and EUR 0.13 in Malta to EUR 0.06 per kWh in the Netherlands, Poland and Finland.

For non-household consumers, natural gas prices (excluding VAT and other recoverable taxes and levies) in the second semester of 2018 were highest in Finland (EUR 0.059 per kWh) and Sweden (EUR 0.048 per kWh) and lowest in Belgium (EUR 0.025 per kWh).

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