BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov.24
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Between the first half of 2019 and the first half of 2020, the largest decreases in household gas prices, in national currencies, were observed in Latvia (-29.4 percent), Lithuania (-19.8 percent), Sweden (-16.0 percent) and Portugal (-15.4 percent), Trend reports with reference to Eurostat.
Tax decreases mainly drove the reduction in Sweden. Cost of energy was the main factor for the price reduction in Latvia, while both affected prices in Lithuania and Portugal. In contrast, the largest increase was registered in the Netherlands (+8.0 percent), ahead of France (+7.3 percent) and Croatia (+5.2 percent. Tax increases mainly affected the increase in the Netherlands. Cost of energy was the main driver for the increases in France and Croatia.
Expressed in euro, average household gas prices in the first half of 2020 were lowest in Latvia, Hungary and Romania (each €3.2 per 100 kWh) and Lithuania (€3.6) and highest in the Netherlands (€10.0), Sweden (€9.8), France (€7.9) and Denmark (€7.5).
Between the first half of 2019 and the first half of 2020, the largest decreases in household electricity prices, in national currencies, were observed in the Netherlands (-31.0 percent), followed by Latvia (-12.8 percent), Slovenia (-11.4 percent), Sweden (-10.0 percent) and Estonia (-8.9 percent). Tax decreases mainly drove the reduction in the Netherlands, while the cost of energy was the main factor for price reductions in Latvia, Slovenia, Sweden and Estonia. In contrast, the largest increase was registered in Lithuania (+13.6 percent), ahead of Poland (+12.9 percent), Luxembourg (+10.5 percent), Romania (+9.1 percent) and Czechia (+8.0 percent). Cost of energy was the main driver for these increases.
Expressed in euro, average household electricity prices in the first half of 2020 were lowest in Bulgaria (€10.0 per 100 kWh), Hungary (€10.3) and Estonia (€12.4) and highest in Germany (€30.4), Denmark (€28.3) and Belgium (€27.9).
EU gas consumption in the second quarter of 2020 decreased by 10 percent in year-on-year comparison, after going down by 4 percent in the previous quarter.
In absolute numbers, the quarterly gas consumption in Q2 2020 amounted to an estimated 71.3 bcm, decreasing from Q2 2019 (79.4 bcm), and down from (131.8 bcm) in Q1 2020, following the seasonal decrease after the end of the winter heating period.
In the second quarter of 2020, the biggest year-on-year increase in gas consumption could be observed in Estonia (30 percent, though representing only a minor increase of 0.02 bcm) and Greece and Portugal (respectively representing decreases of 26 percent and 25 percent, and 0.3 bcm and 0.4 bcm, compared to Q2 2019). Gas consumption, measured in percentages, went up by the most in Slovakia (by 29 percent, 0.2 bcm) and in Lithuania (by 26 percent, 0.1 bcm). In Spain and Italy gas consumption in Q2 2020 fell year-on-year respectively by 20 percent and 21 percent (in volumes: -2.7 bcm and -1.7 bcm). In the remaining EU Member States the change in gas consumption remained in the range of -20 percent to +10 percent compared to Q2 2019.
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