Electricity prices drop for some businesses in 2026

Eurostat reported a 5.4% year-on-year decrease in the average electricity price for non-residential intermediate-sized consumers during the first half of 2026. The average price was 0.1800 euro per kilowattheure (kWh), compared to 0.1903 euro during the first half of 2025.

Country differences in electricity prices

Ireland had the highest price for this group at 0.2666 euro/kWh, followed by Cyprus (0.2306 euro) and Italy (0.2253 euro). Finland had the lowest at 0.0928 euro/kWh, and Sweden at 0.1177 euro.

Price changes across the European Union

On an annual basis, prices decreased in 19 countries of the Union and increased in seven others. Luxembourg recorded the most significant decline (-23.8%), followed by the Czech Republic (-11.9%) and Greece (-11.8%). Sweden (+18.8%), Finland (+18.7%), and Bulgaria (+14.2%) experienced the strongest increases.

Taxation's role in electricity pricing

Non-recoverable taxation represented 18.6% of the average price during the first half of 2026, compared to 17.7% in the previous semester. This share amounts to 39% in Poland and 23.6% in Germany, while it is close to zero in Sweden.

Energy components and tax trends

Excluding taxes, the energy, supply, and network components represent an average of 0.1466 euro/kWh, their lowest level since the beginning of 2022. The decrease in prices excluding taxes and the slight increase in the tax share can thus coexist.

Retail prices vs. industrial contracts

Eurostat noted that the comparison concerns retail prices observed from January to June 2026, not the conditions offered to companies for the winter of 2026-2027. Contracts, consumption profiles, and fixed charges vary by suppliers and countries.

Household electricity prices

For households, Eurostat established an average of 0.2832 euro/kWh for an annual consumption of 2,500 to 5,000 kWh, including taxes. The two figures describe different customer categories and different tax treatments. They allow tracking the evolution of energy costs, but not direct comparison of a household bill to an industrial site's bill.