Romania posts EU's biggest rise in household electricity and gas prices in H1 2026

Electricity prices rise sharply in Romania

Eurostat data published on Friday, 30 October 2026, show that household electricity prices in Romania rose 51.6% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period of 2025, the largest increase among EU member states. Figures for Romania's rise printed by different outlets range from 51.6% to 51.9%. One set of data puts the average Romanian electricity price at 0.2836 euro per kWh. Ireland came next with a 19.8% rise and Finland with 18.4%. At the other end, Denmark recorded a 31.7% fall and Luxembourg a 24.1% fall. Eurostat calculated the percentage changes on prices in national currencies, so they measure the pace of change rather than the price level in euro.

Romania51.6%

Ireland19.8%

Finland18.4%

Denmark-31.7%

Luxembourg-24.1%

Romania

51.6 %

Ireland

19.8 %

Finland

18.4 %

Denmark

-31.7 %

Luxembourg

-24.1 %

Data from the article text

The EU average and the price level

Across the bloc, the average household electricity price fell 2.2% to 0.28 euro per kWh in the first half of 2026, down from 0.29 euro per kWh in the second half of 2025. One set of figures gives a 1.6% fall, from 0.2879 to 0.2832 euro per kWh. Eurostat adds that prices are still far above their levels before the 2022 energy crisis. The share of taxes and other charges in the final bill dropped by 0.5 percentage points, from 28.9% to 28.4%. In euro terms, Ireland had the highest price at 0.39 per kWh, followed by Germany and Belgium at 0.36 each. Hungary recorded the lowest price at 0.11, with Malta and Bulgaria at 0.13 each. Six member states reported prices above 0.30 euro per kWh, while five stayed below 0.20.

Romania tops the purchasing-power ranking

When prices are measured in purchasing power standards, Romania has the highest household electricity price in the EU at 46.9 PPS per 100 kWh. Poland follows at 41.1 and Czechia at 34.3. In euro terms Romania is not among the countries with the highest tariffs, which is why the two rankings differ. Eurostat's PPS indicator accounts for differences in general price levels and purchasing power between countries. The lowest PPS values were recorded in Malta at 13.8, Hungary at 14.7 and Luxembourg at 15.5.

Romania46.9

Poland41.1

Czechia34.3

Romania

46.9 PPS per 100 kWh

Poland

41.1 PPS per 100 kWh

Czechia

34.3 PPS per 100 kWh

Data from the article text

Gas prices fall across the bloc

The average price paid by EU households for gas fell to 0.11 euro per kWh in the first half of 2026. That is down 10.2% from the second half of 2025 and 3.5% from the first half of 2025, the lowest average since the first half of 2022, when the war in Ukraine began. Prices ranged from 0.03 euro per kWh in Hungary and 0.05 in Croatia up to 0.22 in Sweden. Romania's average was 0.06 euro per kWh, yet the country still posted the EU's largest annual gas rise at 9.3%, ahead of Croatia at 8.9% and Slovakia at 6.6%. Gas prices fell in 12 member states, rose in seven and stayed stable in four. The biggest falls were in Bulgaria (14.5%), Greece (11.3%) and Spain (10%). In purchasing power terms, Sweden had the highest gas price at 17.7 PPS per 100 kWh, followed by Portugal at 15.0 and the Netherlands at 13.8. Italy stood at 11.9, France at 12.7 and Germany at 10.4.

Political reaction in Romania

Petrișor Peiu, leader of the AUR senators, reacted on Facebook on Friday afternoon after Eurostat published the data. He said the government had not itself communicated national price levels, and he described its record as a moral bankruptcy that he blamed on the PNL-PSD arrangement. He also named the Nicușor Dan regime as responsible for the situation. In his words:

“In the first half of 2026, before this summer's crisis and the closure of the Cernavodă plant, Romania had the highest electricity price for households.”