Average electricity prices in Portugal in the first half of the year were lower than those in neighbouring Spain and the EU average in both the residential and non-residential segments, the regulator said on Monday.

According to the Electricity Price Comparison Bulletin published by the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE), based on Eurostat data, during the first six months of the year, average household and non-domestic electricity prices in Spain were 5% and 13% higher than in Portugal, respectively.

ERSE pointed out that in the first half of the year, Portugal recorded a 15% increase in household electricity prices compared to the same period last year, “mainly due to the CIEG [costs of general economic interest] returning to positive values after the negative values of the previous semesters.”

In Spain, the price of electricity fell by 16% compared with the same period last year and by 13% in the euro area and the EU. Nevertheless, the average price in Portugal remains below the average for Spain, the European Union and the euro area.

In the residential sector, the average price in Portugal was €0.2539 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), while in Spain it was €0.2657 per kWh.

The EU average was €0.3010 per kWh (+19% compared to Portugal), and the euro area average was €0.3195 per kWh (+26% compared to Portugal).

In the non-domestic sector, the average price was €0.1332 per kWh in Portugal, €0.1501 in Spain (+13%), €0.1970 in the EU (+48%) and €0.2033 in the euro area (+53%).

In the EU context, by the end of June, average household electricity prices were lowest in Hungary, Bulgaria, Malta and Croatia and highest in Germany, Ireland, Denmark and Czechia.

For the non-household sector, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Bulgaria had the lowest average electricity prices over the period. On the other hand, Ireland, Cyprus, Germany and Croatia had the highest average prices.

(Maria João Pereira – edited by Pedro Sousa Carvalho | Lusa.pt)

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