Four parts of every kilowatt-hour
Energy is what your supplier pays for the power, plus its margin. The network part pays for the high-voltage grid and your local distribution network. Taxes and levies cover electricity taxes and charges for renewables, efficiency schemes or local councils. VAT then comes on top of everything.
Most bills also have a fixed part, such as a monthly standing charge or a fee for the size of your connection. It does not depend on how much you use, so this page leaves it out and looks only at the price per kWh.
How a kilowatt-hour breaks down
Average final price per kWh over the last 30 days with each country's default tariff, split into wholesale energy, supplier margin, network, taxes and levies, and VAT. Fixed monthly fees are not included.
Over the last 30 days a kilowatt-hour in Germany cost about €0.409/kWh with all charges. The wholesale price was 40% of that, network charges 23% and taxes, levies and VAT 32%.
| Country | Per kWh | Breakdown | Energy & supply | Network | Taxes, levies & VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Germany | €0.409/kWh | 45% | 23% | 32% | |
 Austria | €0.350/kWh | 60% | 22% | 19% | |
 Netherlands | €0.340/kWh | 56% | 0% | 44% | |
 Czechia | €0.327/kWh | 54% | 26% | 20% | |
 Belgium | €0.312/kWh | 63% | 16% | 20% | |
 Portugal | €0.297/kWh | 61% | 20% | 19% | |
 Poland | €0.286/kWh | 58% | 20% | 23% | |
 Slovenia | €0.285/kWh | 75% | 6% | 19% | |
 Denmark | €0.271/kWh | 61% | 18% | 20% | |
 Spain | €0.259/kWh | 67% | 12% | 21% | |
 Luxembourg | €0.215/kWh | 86% | 24% | −9% | |
 Sweden | €0.191/kWh | 47% | 17% | 37% |
Wholesale energySupplier marginNetworkTaxes & leviesVAT
What households paid in 2025 (Eurostat)
Annual average for households using 2,500 to 4,999 kWh a year, including fixed charges spread over the kWh. Here energy includes the supplier's margin.
| Country | Per kWh | Breakdown | Energy & supply | Network | Taxes, levies & VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | €0.247/kWh | 59% | 46% | −6% | |
| Belgium | €0.354/kWh | 44% | 34% | 23% | |
| Luxembourg | €0.266/kWh | 60% | 46% | −6% | |
| Germany | €0.385/kWh | 38% | 29% | 32% | |
| Austria | €0.309/kWh | 52% | 31% | 17% | |
 France | €0.262/kWh | 42% | 29% | 30% | |
 Italy | €0.313/kWh | 57% | 14% | 28% | |
| Poland | €0.263/kWh | 29% | 28% | 43% | |
| Czechia | €0.324/kWh | 46% | 29% | 25% | |
 Hungary | €0.108/kWh | 23% | 55% | 21% | |
| Slovenia | €0.198/kWh | 57% | 21% | 22% | |
| Spain | €0.264/kWh | 42% | 27% | 31% | |
| Portugal | €0.241/kWh | 49% | 18% | 33% | |
| Denmark | €0.341/kWh | 28% | 23% | 49% | |
| Sweden | €0.269/kWh | 26% | 40% | 35% | |
 Norway | €0.195/kWh | 32% | 50% | 18% | |
| EU average | €0.289/kWh | 43% | 28% | 29% |
Daily breakdown: day-ahead prices and the official tariffs in our price model, with a sample supplier margin. Annual figures: Eurostat, household electricity prices by component (nrg_pc_204_c).
Why the same power costs twice as much elsewhere
Wholesale prices in much of Europe are close to each other, because the markets are coupled. The large gaps come from network charges and taxes. Germany has high network charges, Denmark taxed electricity heavily for years before cutting the tax to the EU minimum for 2026, and several countries lowered taxes during the energy crisis.
What you can change
Switching supplier changes the energy part and the margin, nothing else. Network charges and taxes are the same for everyone in your area. Where network tariffs depend on the time of day, as in Denmark, Spain or Slovenia, using power off-peak lowers that part too.
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