Study: Germany has the most expensive electricity among G20 countries
Germany has the highest electricity prices for consumers among all G20 nations, according to an analysis by the Verivox portal. The main reason is taxes and levies, which make up more than 60% of the final price.
A kilowatt-hour of electricity in Germany costs consumers an average of 35.6 euro cents, more than twice the G20 average. This is according to an analysis by German portal Verivox, based on data from Global Petrol Prices, reported Sunday, August 30, by the dpa news agency and cited by Deutsche Welle.
According to the study, Germany ranks first among G20 countries in electricity prices for consumers. Italy takes second place with a price of 34.5 euro cents per kilowatt-hour, followed by the United Kingdom in third with 32.4 euro cents. By comparison, a kilowatt-hour costs 23.3 euro cents in France and 18.3 euro cents in the United States. The average across G20 countries is about 16.3 euro cents.
Taxes and fees make up more than half the price
Verivox names taxes, levies and other mandatory charges as one of the main reasons for Germany's high electricity costs, saying they account for more than 60% of the final price paid by consumers. Only about a third of the price paid by German households reflects the actual cost of producing the electricity, said Verivox energy expert Thorsten Storck.
High electricity prices in Germany have long drawn criticism from German business associations, whose representatives argue that expensive energy undermines Germany's competitiveness as an industrial location. They are calling for lower electricity charges for both businesses and private consumers, dpa notes.
