In the midst of the ongoing escalation in the Middle East, gas prices surged by roughly 25 % on Tuesday, marking the second consecutive day of sharp increases. In the European wholesale market, morning bids for April deliveries rose to as much as €59 per megawatt‑hour, which translates to a consumer price of about 11-13 cents per kilowatt‑hour when all additional costs and taxes are included. Earlier that day, bids were still at €48 per megawatt‑hour, and the day before trading began, the price had just exceeded €38 per megawatt‑hour, corresponding to a consumer cost of roughly 9-11 cents per kilowatt‑hour.
Until recently, only about half of the final consumer price was tied directly to the wholesale rate. That share is now likely higher. Households can expect a minimum charge of around 5 cents per kilowatt‑hour for network use, the natural gas or CO2 tax, and the VAT applied to those fees.
