The Statistical Office of the European Union, Eurostat, released, on 20 October, data on electricity and fossil gas prices for the first half of 2021, before the current rise in energy prices hitting all of the EU.
These statistics show that average household electricity prices for European households increased slightly during this period compared to last year, to €21.9 per 100 kWh (compared to €21.3 in the first half of 2020).
This increase in electricity prices was observed in 16 EU Member States. It was strongest in Slovenia (+15%), followed by Poland (+8%) and Romania (+7%).
In other Member States, prices fell, particularly in the Netherlands (-10%), Cyprus (-7%) and Lithuania (-6%).
Expressed in euro, average household electricity prices in the first half of 2021 were lowest in Hungary (€10 per 100 kWh), Bulgaria (€10.2) and Malta (€12.8) and highest in Germany (€31.9), Denmark (€29.0), Belgium (€27) and Ireland (€25.6).
Average gas prices showed the opposite trajectory, decreasing slightly to €6.4 per 100 kWh in the first half of 2021 (from €6.5 in the first half of 2020).
Between the first half of 2020 and the same period of this year, gas prices fell in 20 of the 23 Member States reporting household gas prices. The largest decreases were observed in Lithuania (-23%), followed by Slovakia (-10%) and Poland (-9%).
In contrast, prices rose in Denmark (+19%), Germany (+8%) and Luxembourg (+6%).
Average household gas prices in the first half of 2021 were lowest in Lithuania (€2.8 per 100 kWh), Latvia (€3.0) and Hungary (€3.1) and highest in the Netherlands (€9.6), Denmark (€9.0) and Portugal (€7.6).
Data for the second half of 2021 will be available in April 2022.
To consult the data: https://bit.ly/2Znu4OG (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)