EU household electricity prices increase in second half of 2018, slight decrease in Germany

Household electricity prices in the European Union (EU) on average have increased to 21.1 cents per kilowatt hour (ct/kWh) in the second half of 2018, a 3.5 percent increase over the same period 2017, writes the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). Prices ranged from 10 ct/kWh in Bulgaria to around 30 ct/kWh in Denmark, Germany and Belgium, and taxes and levies on average made up more than one third (37 percent) of the electricity price charged to households. For the average German household, electricity prices decreased (-1.6 percent) between the second half of 2017 and the second half of 2018, and taxes and levies made up 54 percent, writes Eurostat. Denmark had the highest average price in the second half of 2018, followed by Germany and Belgium.

Power prices in Germany are among the highest in Europe, not least due to the costs arising from the launch of renewable energy sources – but many customers continue to support the country's energy transition regardless. While wholesale electricity prices on average have been in decline in recent years, surcharges, taxes, and grid fees raise the bill for Germany's private households and small businesses. According to data by German energy industry association BDEW, the annual average power price for a German household using 3,500 kWh per year remained almost unchanged from 2017 (29.28 ct/kWh) to 2018 (29.47 ct/kWh), and then increased to a record high 30.22 ct/kWh for 2019.