Energy crisis: Who has the priciest electricity and gas in Europe?

Electricity and gas costs, which experienced a sharp increase after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, are now steadying in Europe, after peaking in the first half of 2023.

While pre-tax prices are decreasing, some countries have already frozen the support measures they offered households, resulting in higher consumer prices. 

The EU appears to be more ready for winter this year now that it has largely replaced Russian energy, but it's worth noting that there's disparity between electricity and natural gas prices among individual countries both within and outside the bloc.

Which countries have the highest and lowest prices in Europe, and by how much have electricity and natural gas prices increased since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022?

In the first half of 2023, average household electricity prices including all taxes in the EU rose from €25.3 per 100 kWh to €28.9 per 100 kWh, compared with the same period in 2022. 

Average natural gas prices also climbed from €8.6 per 100 kWh to €11.9 per 100 kWh in the same period. These are the highest prices recorded by Eurostat, the EU’s official statistical office.

Looking at the percentage changes year-over-year, the electricity prices in the EU increased by 14.5% in the first half of 2023, and gas prices rose by 37.9%. These figures are lower than the second half of 2022, when the percentage changes year-over-year reached their peak.

The figures suggest that electricity and gas prices are stabilising in the EU, according to Eurostat, even though the final consumer prices with taxes are slightly higher than in the second half of 2022: Pre-tax prices on electricity and natural gas are decreasing, yet countries are partly withdrawing their energy price