European Commission: Electricity and gas prices in the first half of 2021

Eurostat reports that in the first half of 2021, average household electricity prices in the EU increased slightly compared with the same period of 2020 (€21.3 per 100 kWh), standing at €21.9 per 100 kWh. Average gas prices in the EU registered the inverse path, decreasing slightly to €6.4 per 100 kWh in the first half of 2021. More recently, wholesale prices for electricity and gas are increasing substantially across the EU. Official European statistics for the second half of 2021 will be available in April 2022.

Taxes and levies accounted for 39% of the electricity bills charged to households in the EU in the first half of 2021. For gas bills, the corresponding share was 36%.

Largest increases in electricity prices in Slovenia, Poland and Romania
Household electricity prices rose in 16 EU Member States in the first half of 2021, compared with the first half of 2020. The largest increase (expressed in national currencies) was registered in Slovenia (+15%), ahead of Poland (+8%) and Romania (+7%).

The largest decreases were observed in the Netherlands (-10%), followed by Cyprus (-7%) and Lithuania (-6%). Tax decreases mainly drove the reduction in the Netherlands, where the refund (allowance) increased.

Expressed in euro, average household electricity prices in the first half of 2021 were lowest in Hungary (€10.0 per 100 kWh), Bulgaria (€10.2) and Malta (€12.8) and highest in Germany (€31.9), Denmark (€29.0), Belgium (€27.0) and Ireland (€25.6).

Gas prices decreased in 20 EU countries
Between the first half of 2020 and the same period of this year, gas prices fell in 20 of the 23 EU Member States which report natural gas prices in the household sector. The largest decreases in household gas prices (expressed in national currencies), were observed in Lithuania (-23%) followed by Slovakia (-10%) and Poland (-9%).

In contrast, prices increased in Denmark (19%), Germany (8%), and Luxembourg (6%). The cost of energy was the main driver of Denmark’s rise in prices, whereas taxes triggered that increase in Germany and Luxembourg.

Expressed in euro, average household gas prices in the first half of 2021 were lowest in Lithuania (€2.8 per 100 kWh), Latvia (€3.0) and Hungary (€3.1) and highest in the Netherlands (€9.6), Denmark (€9.0) and Portugal (€7.6).