Poland has second-highest household power costs in the EU

Poland ranks second in the European Union for household electricity costs when purchasing power is taken into account, according to Eurostat figures. Only Romania fares worse.

In purchasing power standard (PPS) terms, electricity in Poland cost 41.1 PPS per 100 kWh in the first half of 2026. Romania stood at 46.9 PPS. The PPS measure shows more clearly than nominal prices how heavily power bills weigh on a household budget in each country.

Prices across the EU

The average household electricity price in the EU fell 2.2% in the first half of 2026, from 0.29 euro per kWh in the second half of 2025 to 0.28 euro.

In nominal terms, Ireland was the most expensive at 0.39 euro per kWh, followed by Germany and Belgium at 0.36 euro each. The cheapest were Hungary (0.11 euro), Malta and Bulgaria (0.13 euro each).

Compared with the first half of 2025, the biggest increases were in Romania (+51.6%), Ireland (+19.8%) and Finland (+18.4%). Denmark (-31.7%) and Luxembourg (-24.1%) recorded the steepest drops.

Why Poland pays more, and what's next

Poland has long been among the EU's priciest electricity markets because of its coal-based generation, Paweł Czyżak of the energy think tank Ember said earlier, when results for the second half of 2025 were published. Taxes, fees and network costs add to the bill, so relative to earnings Polish families pay more than those elsewhere.

The outlook for 2027 is not encouraging. Recent estimates suggest an average household could pay up to 200 zloty more per year. Analysts remain cautious, though, and nothing is settled. Jakub Sokołowski of the Institute for Structural Research said the risk for 2027 currently leans toward a rise in the energy component rather than a further fall, but that it is too early to translate a Polish power exchange price of 560 zloty per MWh into a specific bill. A calmer situation in the Middle East would help, but that looks unlikely.