Household electricity in the first half of 2026 cost from about €0.11 per kWh in Hungary to about €0.39 in Ireland, including taxes, according to Eurostat. For a typical household band, Germany paid about €0.36, Austria €0.33, Romania €0.28 and Spain €0.25. In an all-electric home, the yearly bill combines usage charges with fixed charges. Low heating demand shrinks the usage part, which keeps the bill low wherever the home stands.
An all-electric home runs its heating, hot water, ventilation and appliances on one energy source. Estimate its electricity bill from annual grid electricity use, your tariff's rate per kWh and fixed charges. The price part differs widely across Europe, mainly because of taxes, levies and network charges. This guide compares household electricity prices in the first half of 2026, shows what 1,000 kWh costs in each country, and explains how a home's energy demand shapes the bill more than the tariff does.
What does electricity cost across Europe in 2026?
The table shows the average household price for the consumption band of 2,500 to 5,000 kWh per year, including all taxes and levies, for the first half of 2026. The last column multiplies each national average by 1,000 for comparison. These averages include fixed charges spread over consumption; use your own supplier's tariff to estimate your bill.
| Country | € per kWh, H1 2026 | Cost of 1,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 0.387 | €387 |
| Germany | 0.362 | €362 |
| Belgium | 0.358 | €358 |
| Austria | 0.326 | €326 |
| Italy | 0.314 | €314 |
| Poland | 0.300 | €300 |
| Romania | 0.284 | €284 |
| Spain | 0.251 | €251 |
| France | 0.249 | €249 |
| Netherlands | 0.244 | €244 |
| Greece | 0.240 | €240 |
| Hungary | 0.114 | €114 |
Source: Eurostat, electricity prices for household consumers (nrg_pc_204), band 2,500 to 4,999 kWh, all taxes and levies included, data updated 13.10.2026. The EU average for the second half of 2025 was €0.2896 per kWh; Eurostat had not yet published the EU average for the first half of 2026 when this article was written.
Why do prices differ so much?
The cost of generating electricity is only part of the bill. Network charges, taxes and levies make up a large share, and each country sets them differently. Prices also move: between the second half of 2025 and the first half of 2026, the average fell in Germany, Ireland, Austria, Romania, Spain, France and the Netherlands and rose in Belgium, Italy, Poland, Greece and Hungary. Your own tariff can differ from these averages, depending on your supplier, contract and consumption.
You can switch supplier, but you cannot switch countries to save on electricity. The lasting lever is how much energy the home needs: every kWh the building does not use costs nothing at any tariff.
How do you estimate the running cost of an all-electric home?
Add up the yearly electricity use:
- Heating: multiply the heating demand in kWh/m² per year by the home's assessed floor area, then divide by the heat pump's seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) for the local climate.
- Hot water: depends on the household and the hot-water system.
- Household use: appliances, lighting and cooking; your current bills are the best guide.
- Ventilation: small fans running all year in a home with heat recovery ventilation.
- Cooling: include the system's estimated electricity use if you plan to use air conditioning.
Subtract any solar electricity used in the home to estimate grid imports. Multiply those imports by your tariff's rate per kWh, add fixed charges and deduct any bill credits. For time-of-use tariffs, calculate each rate period separately. Our guide to solar panels for a passive house explains how solar production offsets part of that use, and our guide to heating costs compares running costs of different homes.
Why does low demand matter more than the tariff?
The price per kWh varies by a factor of three across Europe, but the energy a home needs for heating can vary by much more between buildings. BioBuilds homes are built on a Passivhaus-certified building system, and the standard MODULAR models have a heating demand target of around 15 kWh/m² per year, compared with about 150 kWh/m² for a newer European family home. In Turnkey, a Samsung WindFree or Panasonic heat pump and Zehnder ventilation with heat recovery provide heating and cooling with no other fuel. Prices start from €134,470 for Wanderlust 48 in Turnkey, including an illustrative 19% German VAT; to see a configuration, configure your home.
