Gas Prices in Europe

These are final household prices including energy costs, network charges, taxes (VAT), and all government levies. They represent the total cost per kWh as it appears on household gas bills. The data comes from Eurostat's nrg_pc_203 dataset for the lowest consumption band (below 1,000 GJ/year).

European gas prices spiked in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent reduction of Russian pipeline gas supplies. Before the crisis, Russia supplied about 40% of Europe's gas. The EU has since diversified to LNG imports (from the US, Qatar, Norway) and reduced consumption through efficiency measures and mild winters. While prices have come down from their 2022 peaks, they remain above pre-crisis levels in most countries.

Key factors include: 1) Supply sources — countries with own production (Netherlands, Romania) or direct pipeline access to Norway pay less. 2) LNG dependency — landlocked countries relying on imported LNG face higher costs. 3) Long-term contracts — some utilities locked in favorable prices before the crisis. 4) Government intervention — price caps, subsidies, and VAT reductions vary widely. 5) Network costs — depend on infrastructure age and geography.