EU: Household energy bills at record highs in 2022 (Eurostat)

Electricity bills jumped 20% and gas bills rose 46% in the EU in the second half of 2022, reaching record levels due to the war in Ukraine and fluctuations in energy prices.

Share:

Household electricity bills in the EU jumped 20% year-on-year in the second half of 2022, while their gas bills soared 46% to record levels because of the war in Ukraine, according to Eurostat figures released Wednesday.

Over the period from July to December 2022, electricity prices for households averaged 28.4 euros per 100 kWh across the EU, a jump of 21% compared to the same period in 2021, the European statistics office said. This is a consequence of soaring wholesale electricity prices, which are de facto indexed to the production cost of the last power plant used to balance supply and demand, most often a gas-fired plant.

Natural gas prices have risen sharply as Russia has ceased deliveries to Europe. However, Eurostat points out the strong disparities between countries, as well as the different impacts of support measures taken by national governments. The share of taxes in electricity prices has been reduced by almost half in Europe.

In the second half of the year, the largest year-on-year increases were recorded in Romania (+112%), Czech Republic (+97%), Denmark (+70%), Lithuania (+65%) and Latvia (+59%). Conversely, much more moderate increases were noted in Austria, Germany, Poland and Bulgaria (4 to 5%). The increase in France was 9%. And household electricity bills have even fallen over the past year in Malta – where prices are regulated – and in the Netherlands, where consumers have been helped by tax breaks.

Expressed in euros, average electricity prices for households ranged from about 11 euros/100 kWh in Hungary and Bulgaria to about 45 euros in Belgium and 59 euros in Denmark. Similarly, gas bills for EU households averaged 11.4 euros per 100 kWh in the second half of 2022, up from 7.8 euros a year earlier. Eastern European countries, which are heavily dependent on Russian gas, have been hit hard: gas prices have more than tripled in the Czech Republic, jumped by about 160% in Romania and Latvia, and doubled in Lithuania and Belgium. Only two countries (Croatia and Slovakia) recorded increases of less than 20%, according to Eurostat.

Nearly USD92bn will be invested by major American and international groups in new data centres and energy infrastructure, responding to the surge in electricity demand linked to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Nouakchott has endured lengthy power interruptions for several weeks, highlighting the financial and technical limits of the Mauritanian Electricity Company as Mauritania aims to widen access and green its mix by 2030.
Between 2015 and 2024, four multilateral climate funds committed nearly eight bn USD to clean energy, attracting private capital through concessional terms while Africa and Asia absorbed more than half of the volume.
The Global Energy Policies Hub shows that strategic reserves, gas obligations, cybersecurity and critical-mineral policies are expanding rapidly, lifting oil coverage to 98 % of world imports.
According to a report by Ember, the Chinese government’s appliance trade-in campaign could double residential air-conditioner efficiency gains in 2025 and trim up to USD943mn from household electricity spending this year.
Washington is examining sectoral taxes on polysilicon and drones, two supply chains dominated by China, after triggering Section 232 to measure industrial dependency risks.
The 2025-2034 development plan presented by Terna includes strengthening Sicily’s grid, new interconnections, and major projects to support the region’s growing renewable energy capacity.
Terna and NPC Ukrenergo have concluded a three-year partnership in Rome aimed at strengthening the integration of the Ukrainian grid into the pan-European system, with an in-depth exchange of technological and regulatory expertise.
GE Vernova has secured a major contract to modernise the Kühmoos substation in Germany, enhancing grid reliability and integration capacity for power flows between Germany, France and Switzerland.
The National Energy System Operator forecasts electricity demand to rise to 785 TWh by 2050, underlining the need to modernise grids and integrate more clean energy to support the UK’s energy transition.
Terna has signed a guarantee agreement with SACE and the European Investment Bank to finance the Adriatic Link project, totalling approximately €1bn ($1.08bn) and validated as a major transaction under Italian regulations.
India unveils a series of reforms on oil and gas contracts, introducing a fiscal stability clause to enhance the sector’s attractiveness for foreign companies and boost its growth ambitions in upstream energy.
The European Commission is launching a special fund of EUR2.3bn ($2.5bn) to boost Ukraine’s reconstruction and attract private capital to the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Asia dominated global new renewable energy capacity in 2024 with 71% of installations, while Africa recorded limited growth of only 7.2%, according to the latest annual report from IRENA.
US President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act dramatically changes energy investment rules, imposing restrictions on renewables while favouring hydrocarbons, according to a recent report by consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie.
On July 8, 2025, the Senate validated the Gremillet bill, aimed at structuring France's energy transition with clear objectives for nuclear power, renewable energies, and energy renovation.
Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru significantly increase renewable electricity production, reaching nearly 70% of the regional electricity mix, according to a recent Wood Mackenzie study on Latin America's energy sector.
The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
The German Ministry of Economy plans to significantly expand aid aimed at reducing industrial electricity costs, increasing eligible companies from 350 to 2,200, at an estimated cost of €4bn ($4.7bn).
A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.