Britons pay almost DOUBLE European average for energy, new study finds

With electricity and energy being a frequent topic of discussion in the news and within society, many people are understandably worried about their energy consumption and the subsequent cost.

While many countries have been affected by the price hike, the UK has been impacted significantly.

But just how much more are electricity prices here compared to the rest of the world?

The Underfloor Heating Store has created an interactive map to demonstrate how much a kilowatt of energy costs in 194 countries and what the cost of running a small, medium-sized or large household is.

Energy Prices in the UK

In the UK, we're unfortunately experiencing life as one of the world's most expensive energy countries. While we may not be in the top five most expensive countries out of 194 countries, Britain has the 6th most expensive cost per kilowatt globally, after the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Benin, Denmark and Germany.

The price of a kilowatt in the UK is £0.39, almost double the European average of £0.23.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, our energy prices are so high because the demand for gas increased after the pandemic and due to a shortage. Prices rose in 2021, and after Russia invaded Ukraine, they increased further. Since electricity prices are directly linked to gas prices, they also soared. Click HERE to Use the Interactive Map To use, hover over a country, and you'll see a breakdown of the cost of energy usage in each country and the average spend per household size. The typical energy use for each household size is as follows:

Small household (flat or 1-bedroom house with 1-2 people): 1800 kWh.

Medium household (2-3 bedroom house with 2-3 people): 2900 kWh.

Large household (4+ bedroom house with 4-5 people): 4300 kWh.

We've also listed the countries from cheapest to most expensive, with #1 being the least expensive, and so on.

The Five Countries with the Most Expensive Energy in the World

The top five countries with the most expensive energy, based on the cost per kilowatt, are the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Benin, Denmark and Germany.

The Five Countries with the Cheapest Electricity Prices in the World

The top five countries with the least expensive energy, based on the cost per kilowatt, are Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

The Average Cost of Electricity per Continent

Asia was the continent found to have the lowest cost of a kilowatt on average. This means that medium-sized households are spending approximately £178.24 annually - just 5% of their yearly income.

Oceania has the most expensive energy of all the continents, with an average of £0.26 per kilowatt. From this, we determined that medium-sized households will be spending around £768.23 annually, which is a huge 38% of their yearly income spent on energy alone.

North and South America were found respectively to have the fourth and third cheapest price per kilowatt globally. The average price of a kilowatt in South America was found to be £0.11, with the average medium-sized household spending 8% of the average annual income on energy costs. In North America, the average price of a kilowatt was £0.1815, with medium-sized households spending 13% of their yearly annual income on electricity.

Europe came in as a close second for the most expensive energy with an average of £0.23 per kilowatt. However, this takes away just 6% of the average yearly salary, while in Africa the cost of energy is £0.10 per kilowatt, spending an average of 29% of their income.

About The Underfloor Heating Store

Established in 2008, The Underfloor Heating Store is a market-leading online retailer of electric and water underfloor heating systems, and associated products focused on the consumer market. Known as the UK’s biggest supplier of electric and water underfloor heating systems nationwide, the company’s product portfolio includes underfloor heating mats, inscreed heating, insulation boards, thermostats, insulators and other heating products and energy-efficient technologies. Their vast range of products offers the homeowner and installer flexible solutions to suit any project and budget.

The Underfloor Heating Store network offers unrivalled customer service via a team of experienced engineers, combined with a state-of-the-art warehousing and stock control system, providing their customers with a seamless buying experience and leaving them with a TrustScore of 4.7 from 7,700+ reviews on TrustPilot.