Gas prices fall in the EU in the first half; Romania remains one of the lowest-priced countries

 Electricity and gas bills for European consumers fell in the first half of this year, with a sharper decline recorded for natural gas than for electricity, according to the Eurostat data published on Wednesday.According to these data, the average gas price for household consumers declined by 8.1 percent in the first half of the year up to 11.43 euros per 100 kWh, from 12.44 euros per 100 kWh in the second half of last year. Eurostat points out that this decrease marks a return to the seasonal fluctuations in gas prices that were typical before the 2022 energy crisis.Moreover, in the first half of this year, the average electricity price for household consumers in the EU fell slightly by 0.5 percent to 28.72 euros per 100 kWh, down from 28.87 euros per 100 kWh in the second half of last year. According to Eurostat, this reflects a continuation of the period of price stability, even though electricity prices remain well above the levels seen before the 2022 energy crisis.Among the member states, gas prices for household consumers rose in 13 EU countries in the first half of this year, fell in eight states and remained unchanged in two countries.Expressed in euros, the lowest gas prices for household consumers in the first half were recorded in Hungary (0.0307 euros per kWh), Croatia (0.0461 euros) and Romania (0.0559 euros). At the opposite end, the highest prices were registered in Sweden (0.2130 euros per kWh), the Netherlands (0.1617 euros) and Denmark (0.1306 euros).Between the first half of 2024 and the first half of 2025, the largest increases in natural gas prices were recorded in Estonia (23.9 percent), Bulgaria (23.6 percent) and Sweden (20.9 percent), while the biggest decreases were recorded in Slovenia (minus 12.7 percent), Austria (minus 11.5 percent) and the Czech Republic (minus 10.9 percent).As for electricity, in the first half of this year, prices for household consumers increased in 12 EU countries, fell in 13 states and remained unchanged in two countries.Expressed in euros, the lowest electricity prices for household consumers in the first six months of this year were recorded in Hungary (0.1040 euros per kWh), Malta (0.1244 euros), Bulgaria (0.1300 euros), Croatia (0.1194 euros), Slovakia (0.1270 euros) and Romania (0.1447 euros). At the opposite end, the highest prices were registered in Germany (0.3835 euros per kWh), Belgium (0.3571 euros), Denmark (0.3485 euros) and Italy (0.3291 euros).Between the first half of 2024 and the first half of 2025, the largest increases in electricity prices were recorded in Luxembourg (31.3 percent), Ireland (25.9 percent) and Poland (20 percent), while the biggest decreases were recorded in Slovenia (minus 13.1 percent), Finland (minus 9.8 percent) and Cyprus (minus 9.5 percent).