Maltese experience third highest increase in energy prices

Household electricity prices in the EU27 rose by 5.1% and gas prices by 7.7%

Between the second half of 2009 and the second half of 2010, the highest increases in household electricity prices – in national currencies – were registered in Lithuania (+31%), Cyprus (+23%), Greece (+17%) and Malta (+12%), and the largest decreases in the Netherlands (-8%), Luxembourg (-7%), Italy and the Czech Republic (both ‑4%).

Average household electricity prices in the second half of 2010 were lowest in Bulgaria (8.3 euro per100 kWh), Estonia (10.0), Latvia and Romania (both 10.5), and highest in Denmark (27.1), Germany (24.4), Cyprus (20.2) and Belgium (19.7).The average electricity price in the EU27 was 17.1 euro per 100 kWh.

In the EU27, household electricity prices rose by 5.1% between the second half of 2009 and the second half of 2010, after a fall of 2.3%between the second half of 2008 and 2009. Household gas pricesincreased by 7.7% in the EU27 between the second half of 2009 and 2010, after a fall of 15.5% between the second half of 2008 and 2009.

When expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS), the lowest household electricity prices were found in France (11.3 PPSper 100 kWh), Finland (11.5) and Greece (12.8), and the highest in Hungary (25.7), Slovakia (24.7) and Germany (23.2).

Between the second half of 2009 and the second half of 2010, the highest increases in household gas prices in national currency were observed in Italy (+47%), Slovenia (+25%) and Bulgaria (+24%), and the largest decreases in Slovakia and the United Kingdom (both -6%) and Ireland (-4%).

Expressed in euro, average household gas prices in the second half of 2010 were lowest in Romania (7.7 euro per gigajoule), Estonia (11.1), Latvia (11.3) and the United Kingdom (11.7), and highest in Sweden (30.3), Denmark (30.1), Italy (21.9) and the Netherlands (19.8). The average gas price in the EU27 was 15.9 euro per gigajoule.

When adjusted for purchasing power, the lowest household gas prices were recorded in Luxembourg (10.9 PPSper gigajoule), the United Kingdom (11.6), Ireland (12.7) and France (14.0), and the highest in Bulgaria (26.9), Hungary (25.1)and Sweden (23.8).