Here's a fun game for a cold evening: find your last electricity bill and look for the price per kWh. That's one unit, roughly what a kettle uses in half an hour. Now compare it with your neighbours in Europe. Spoiler: it depends a lot on where you live.
The same unit, very different prices
Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, compares household prices every six months. In the second half of 2025, the EU average was about 29 euro cents per kWh, taxes included.
The most expensive: Ireland, about 40 cents, then Germany, 39, Belgium, 35, and Denmark, 33. The cheapest: Hungary, about 11 cents, then Malta, 13, and Bulgaria, 14. So an Irish family pays almost four times more than a Hungarian one for exactly the same electricity. The electrons don't know the difference. The wallet does.
And now, this autumn
A newer snapshot, from 1 September 2026, looks at capital cities. The priciest are Brussels and Berlin, then Dublin, Bern and London, with the top price at about 41 cents. The cheapest in the EU is Budapest, about 10 cents.
On average, electricity in EU capitals costs 7% more than a year ago, and gas 12% more. Stockholm saw the biggest monthly jump in electricity, 11%. Bucharest sits above the European average.
Romania, the big jump
This is the number that hurts. Between the second half of 2024 and the second half of 2025, household electricity prices in Romania went up by 58.6%. That's the biggest increase in the whole EU, ahead of Austria, 34%, and Ireland, 33%. It was the year the state cap on household bills ended.
And when you compare prices with what people can actually buy with their money, Eurostat puts Romania at the very top of the list: the most expensive electricity in the EU relative to local purchasing power, ahead of Czechia and Poland. In other words, it's not the highest price in euros, but it's the one that takes the biggest bite out of the salary.
Meanwhile, some countries got cheaper. Prices fell in Cyprus, by about 15%, in France, 12.5%, and in Denmark, 12%.
Who takes the cut
Part of every bill is tax. Across the EU, taxes and levies made up about 29% of the household price. Denmark is the champion, almost half. In Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the share was actually negative, because government support was bigger than the taxes.
What people expect
Ipsos asked 23,531 adults in 33 countries in late summer 2026. 70% expect to pay more for energy and utilities in the next six months. 76% blame wars and conflicts for rising prices. In Europe, the share that blames war is even higher, around 80%.
And 65% don't think inflation will be back to "normal" before next year, or ever. Optimism, it seems, is also getting more expensive.
What it means for you
Look at the price per kWh on your bill, not just the total. If it's well above your country's average, it's worth comparing suppliers or asking about a fixed-price offer before winter.
Then the small stuff, which really adds up: wash at 30 degrees, use the lid on the pot, and turn off the standby lights. Your kettle, at least, is innocent. Half an hour of boiling costs a few cents, almost anywhere.