According to Eurostat data, Czechs ranked seventh in Europe for electricity prices last year. However, the situation worsens when purchasing power is taken into account.
This comparison shows that Czech consumers paid more for electricity than any other country, alongside Ireland. While Czechs paid an average of 6.47 korunas (0.25 euros) per kilowatt-hour for regular consumption excluding taxes, the price in the cheapest countries, such as Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, was more than three times lower.
“Households pay electricity prices based on actual rates, not purchasing power parity. For average consumers comparing their electricity expenses, the adjustment based on purchasing power parity doesn’t make sense,” said Miluše Trefánková, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
However, it does matter how much of a household’s total income goes toward energy costs. This comparison shows that Czech households are paying more than German or Austrian households, despite electricity being more expensive on average in those countries.
In Slovakia, people nominally paid twice as much. In Poland, electricity was cheaper by 4 korunas per kilowatt-hour, and in Hungary, it was 4.40 korunas cheaper.
In Ireland, the most expensive country, people paid 3 korunas more than Czechs.
According to XTB analyst Jiří Tyleček, the Czech Republic is in a similar situation to Germany, which closed its nuclear power plants and now imports electricity from neighboring countries.
