Only three of 27 EU countries had dearer household electricity than the UK in 2025
Average price households pay per unit (kWh) of electricity and of gas, including taxes, in the UK, the middle of 28 European countries, Germany and France, 2008 to 2025. Pence, not adjusted for inflation.
In 2008, 11 of them did. Prices per unit, including taxes.
Latest figures
| Series | Period | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity, pence per unit (kWh): UK | 2025 | 29.7p |
| Electricity, pence per unit (kWh): Middle of Europe | 2025 | 21.8p |
| Electricity, pence per unit (kWh): Germany | 2025 | 33.0p |
| Electricity, pence per unit (kWh): France | 2025 | 22.4p |
| Gas, pence per unit (kWh): UK | 2025 | 7.0p |
| Gas, pence per unit (kWh): Middle of Europe | 2025 | 7.8p |
| Gas, pence per unit (kWh): Germany | 2025 | 10.4p |
| Gas, pence per unit (kWh): France | 2025 | 11.7p |
Findings
Notes
- A unit is a kilowatt hour (kWh): running a 1,000-watt heater for an hour. Prices include taxes, VAT and the costs of government energy schemes, and are averages over the year.
- Prices are for homes using a typical amount: 2,500 to 5,000 kWh of electricity and 5,556 to 55,556 kWh of gas a year. A typical UK home falls in both bands.
- The middle of Europe is the median: half of the countries paid more and half less. It counts the 27 EU countries and the UK for electricity, and 24 of these countries for gas: there is no gas price for Cyprus, Finland, Malta and Poland in 2025.
- Eurostat collects the prices from each country; DESNZ converts them to pence at the exchange rate of the time, so a change in the value of the pound moves every other country's price in pounds.
Sources
More on cost of living
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