Romanians pay the most expensive electricity in the EU relative to their purchasing power, but the country has the third cheapest gas prices, according to data published by Eurostat.
Relatively high electricity prices
When it comes to electricity, the country-by-country analysis shows that although Romania ranks ninth in terms of electricity tariffs expressed in euros, Romanians feel the weight of their bills the most. Relative to purchasing power, Romanians, Poles, and Czechs are the most burdened Europeans by electricity bills.
The statistics refer to the second half of 2025, after Romania’s energy market returned to free tariffs, which produced an initial shock of +60% in prices. At the EU level, energy prices remain largely stable despite the lack of a government-imposed cap.
The highest average tariffs in euros are now in Ireland (EUR 40.42 per 100 kWh), followed by Germany (EUR 38.69) and Belgium (EUR 34.99), and the lowest in Hungary (EUR 10.82), Malta (EUR 12.82), and Bulgaria (EUR 13.55).
In Romania, the average tariff paid by household consumers, as calculated by Eurostat, is EUR 29 per 100 kWh, therefore RON 1.4 per kWh.
Eurostat noted that the current levels of electricity tariffs remain at approximately the same level as after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, but are double compared to the previous level in 2021.
Plenty of gas
Unlike electricity, gas in Romania is cheap. The country benefits from the third cheapest gas in the EU, according to data published on Tuesday, May 5, by the same Eurostat.
Overall, between July and December 2025, the average price for gas in the EU, including taxes, increased to EUR 12.28 per 100 kWh, from EUR 11.43 per 100 kWh in the first half of 2025. Prices are comparable with those recorded in the second half of 2024, while taxes remained stable.
According to Eurostat data, large disparities can be observed within the European Union regarding natural gas prices for household consumers. The highest prices are in Sweden (EUR 20.92 per 100 kWh), the Netherlands (EUR 17.19), and Italy (EUR 14.81).
The lowest prices were in Hungary, with EUR 3.4 per 100 kWh, Croatia, at EUR 5.43, and Romania, with EUR 5.66.
The highest share of taxes and duties paid by household consumers for natural gas was recorded in the Netherlands, at 51.8%, Denmark, with 48.9%, and Sweden, with 35.9%. Consumers in Croatia paid only 4.8% in taxes on their natural gas, while those in Greece paid 8.1%.
Expressed in purchasing power parity, the highest gas price for household consumers was in Sweden, Portugal, and Italy, and the lowest in Hungary, Luxembourg, and Slovakia. In this measurement, Romanians paid EUR 9.69 per 100 kWh, still among the lowest prices in the EU.
(Photo source: Nataliia Babinska|Dreamstime.com)
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