The increase in household gas prices in the EU accelerated strongly in the first half of the year due to the jump in wholesale prices in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Croatia is among the countries with the lowest prices, according to Eurostat data.

The average price of electricity for households in the EU increased by 15% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2021, reaching €25.3 for 100 kilowatt hours, Eurostat reported on Wednesday.

In the second half of last year it increased by 11.3%.

The average price of gas in the period from January to June was 34.4% higher than in the same period in 2021, amounting to €8.6 per 100 kilowatt hour. In the second half of 2021 it increased by slightly more than 11%.

Wholesale electricity and natural gas prices have risen significantly across the EU, according to the Eurostat report.

The accelerated price increase in H1 2022 is primarily due to higher energy and supply costs, which were influenced by the current geopolitical situation of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The share of taxes and levies in gas and electricity prices was significantly reduced thanks to state subsidies and fees with which governments tried to mitigate the impact of higher household energy bills.

Compared with H1 2021, their share in electricity prices decreased by 15.5 percentage points to 24% and in gas prices from 36% to 27%, according to Eurostat.

Five exceptions

In the first six months of 2022, household electricity prices increased the most in the Czech Republic and Latvia (62% and 59% respectively). They were followed by Denmark (57%).

In Croatia, households paid an average of €13.54 for 100 kilowatt hours of electricity, which is almost 5% more than in the same period in 2021.

Only households in the Netherlands, Slovenia, Poland, Portugal and Hungary paid a lower electricity price than in the first half of 2021.

The lowest average electricity price, which includes all taxes and levies, was paid by households in the Netherlands — €5.9 for 100 kilowatt hours. Hungary and Bulgaria followed with €9.5 and €10.9 respectively.

The highest price of electricity was paid by Danish and Belgian households, €45.6 and €33.8 respectively. They were followed by Germany and Italy at €32.8 and €31.2.

Cheap gas in Croatia

Households in 23 of the 24 EU countries for which data were available paid significantly more for gas in the first half of this year than in the same period in 2021, mainly due to rising energy costs, the report states.

Gas for households became slightly cheaper only in Hungary, where prices were regulated, increasing by an average of 0.5% to €2.9 per 100 kilowatt hour, which was the lowest price in the EU.

Croatia, along with Latvia and Hungary, was among the countries with the lowest average household gas prices, of €4.1 per 100 kilowatt hour, up  9.6% from the first half of 2021.

Gas bills for households in Estonia jumped the most by far, up two and a half times year on year.

The price of gas for households in Lithuania and Bulgaria also sharply increased, more than doubling compared to the same period in 2021.

The highest price of gas was paid by households in Sweden,  €22.2 per 100 kilowatt hours, followed by Denmark and the Netherlands, €16 and €12.9 per 100 kilowatt hour, respectively.

Cyprus, Malta and Finland do not publish data on natural gas prices for the household sector, Eurostat noted.