European Countries with the Highest Electricity Prices in 2026: Where Households Pay the Most

Despite the active development of renewable energy in many EU countries, electricity prices for the population continue to vary significantly. Find out where electricity is most expensive and why even green energy leaders cannot always offer low tariffs

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In 2026, the cost of electricity remains one of the most important indicators for households across Europe. The energy crisis of recent years has gradually receded, but electricity bills in many countries of the European Union still significantly exceed the average.

According to European energy analysts, the average price of electricity for the population in the EU is about 0.29 euros per kWh, Euronews reports based on an analysis by the energy company 1KOMMA5°. However, the difference between individual countries can be almost fourfold.

In which countries are electricity prices for the population the highest and why, we will tell you in this article.

Read how much Ukrainians will pay for electricity in 2026 here.

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Where in Europe is electricity the most expensive in 2026?

The group of countries with the highest tariffs for the population mainly includes countries in Western and Northern Europe.

Ireland – €0.40/kWh

Germany – €0.39/kWh

Belgium – €0.35/kWh

Denmark – €0.33/kWh

Austria – €0.33/kWh

Czech Republic – €0.32/kWh

Italy – €0.30/kWh

Romania – €0.29/kWh

Cyprus – €0.28/kWh

Sweden – €0.27/kWh

At the same time, the cheapest electricity among EU countries remains in Hungary, Malta and Bulgaria, where state tariff regulation plays a significant role.

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Why do electricity prices in Europe differ so much?

The final tariff is influenced by several factors:

- The structure of the country's energy balance;

- Dependence on imported gas;

- Taxes and network fees;

- State subsidies;

- Investments in energy infrastructure;

- Share of renewable energy sources.

However, a large share of green energy does not always mean cheaper electricity for consumers.

Why does Germany remain one of the most expensive countries in Europe?

The example of Germany, which ranks second in the EU in terms of electricity prices, is particularly illustrative.

At first glance, this seems illogical. In 2025, the country generated more electricity from wind and sun than any other EU country. The share of clean energy in the energy balance reached approximately 59%, and almost 45% of all generation was provided by solar and wind power plants.

However, high bills for the population persist due to the peculiarities of the functioning of the European energy market.

Read also, since the beginning of the new year, new rules for providing benefits for housing and communal services have been in effect in Ukraine. What income allows you to receive a benefit and which categories of citizens are exempt from income verification, we tell you at the link.

How does the Merit Order principle work?

The EU electricity market has a system under which the final price is formed by the most expensive producer necessary to cover demand at a particular moment.

Therefore, even if most of the electricity is produced by cheap solar and wind plants, during hours of high consumption, gas or coal-fired power plants can be connected to the network. They often determine the final market price for all consumers.

Because of this, fluctuations in fossil fuel prices continue to affect bills even in countries that are actively switching to green energy.

Refusal of nuclear energy and its consequences

The closure of the last nuclear power plants in Germany played a special role.

Nuclear generation provided stable low-carbon electricity production. After its decommissioning, the country had to develop renewable energy more quickly and partially compensate for the lack of capacity with other sources.

Experts call this transitional stage one of the factors that keep tariffs high.

We tell you here whether you can be denied travel abroad if you have debts for utility services.

Why is some of Europe’s green energy still being lost?

Another problem concerns the infrastructure itself.

On sunny or very windy days, power plants can produce more electricity than the grid can deliver to consumers. This sometimes forces operators to limit generation and pay compensation to producers.

To address the problem, the EU is actively investing in large-scale energy storage systems and modernizing electricity grids. Experts say the development of battery technology is one of the key factors in the future decline in the cost of electricity in Europe.

What can we expect from tariffs in the coming years?

Despite the current high prices in some countries, the long-term trend remains positive. The expansion of solar and wind generation, the development of energy storage systems and the modernization of electricity grids should gradually reduce Europe’s dependence on expensive fossil fuels.

However, experts warn that this process will take several years, so we should not expect significant changes in household bills in the short term.

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Reminder! Several important changes come into force in Ukraine at the beginning of June. New rules for booking employees, deadlines for digitizing work books, completion of the main session of the National Labor Relations Board, pension recalculation and updating state programs may affect millions of citizens. We will tell you about the most important innovations of the month in this article.

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