In the EU27, household electricity prices fell by 1.5% between the second half of 2008 and the second half of 2009, and gas prices by 16.0%. Between the same time periods of 2007 and 2008, household electricity prices in the EU27 rose by 6.8%, and gas prices by 21.0%.

Lowest electricity prices in PPS in Finland, France and Greece

Between the second half of 2008 and the second half of 2009, the largest decreases in household electricity prices in national currency4 were registered in Cyprus (-20%), Italy (-10%), Ireland (-9%) and Denmark (-8%), and the highest increases in Poland (+18%), Luxembourg (+17%) and Slovenia (+16%).

Expressed in euro, average household electricity prices in the second half of 2009 were lowest in Bulgaria (8.2 euro per 100 kWh), Estonia (9.2) and Lithuania (9.3), and highest in Denmark (25.5), Germany (22.9) and Italy (20.0). The average electricity price in the EU27 was 16.5 euro per 100 kWh.

When adjusted for purchasing power, the lowest household electricity prices were found in Finland (10.3 PPS5 per 100 kWh), France (10.6) and Greece (11.2), and the highest in Hungary (24.3), Poland (22.0) and Germany (21.4).

The share of taxes in household electricity prices was 26% on average in the EU27, ranging from 5% in Malta and the United Kingdom to 56% in Denmark and 41% in Germany.

Lowest gas prices in PPS in Luxembourg, Belgium and the United Kingdom

Between the second half of 2008 and the second half of 2009, the largest decreases in household gas prices in national currency were observed in Belgium (-29%), Italy (-26%), Latvia and Slovenia (both -24%) and Germany (-23%), and the highest increases in Hungary (+11%), Lithuania and Poland (both +6%).

Expressed in euro, average household gas prices in the second half of 2009 were lowest in Romania (7.5 euro per gigajoule), Bulgaria (9.7) and Estonia (10.1), and highest in Sweden (26.9), Denmark (26.8) and the Netherlands (18.7). The average gas price in the EU27 was 14.7 euro per gigajoule.

When adjusted for purchasing power, the lowest household gas prices were recorded in Luxembourg (10.7 PPS per gigajoule), Belgium (12.7) and the United Kingdom (12.9), and the highest in Sweden (23.8), Poland (21.8) and Bulgaria (20.2).

The share of taxes in household gas prices was 22% on average in the EU27, ranging from 5% in Portugal and the United Kingdom to 50% in Denmark and 46% in Romania.