Household energy prices in Malta stable and below EU average

Household electricity prices rose by 6.6% in the EU between the second half of 2011 and the second half of 2012, after an increase of 6.3% between the second half of 2010 and 2011, a Eurostat study issued today shows. Prices were stable in Malta during that period, and slightly below the EU average. The highest increases in household electricity prices were registered in Cyprus (+21%), Greece (+15%), Italy (+11%), Ireland and Portugal (both +10%), Bulgaria, Spain and Poland (all +9%). Decreases were observed in Sweden (-5%), Hungary (-2%) and Finland (-1%), while prices remained stable in Denmark and Malta. Expressed in euro, average household electricity prices in the second half of 2012 were lowest in Bulgaria (9.6 euro per 100 kWh), Romania(10.8) and Estonia (11.2), and highest in Denmark(29.7), Cyprus (29.1), Germany (26.8) and Italy (23.0). The average electricity price in the EU27 was 19.7 euro per 100 kWh. When expressed in purchasing power standards (PPS) the lowest household electricity prices were found in Finland (12.7 PPS per 100kWh), France (13.0), Luxembourg (14.0) and Sweden (15.5), and the highest in Cyprus (32.9), Germany and Poland (both 25.9), Portugal (25.7)...