The cost of electricity for households in Greece has increased by 15.3 percent, year-on-year, primarily as a result of taxes and various surcharges, first-half data released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical service, has shown.

The tariff for household electricity consumption in the 1,000-2,500 KWh category rose to 0.1914 euros per KWh from 0.166 euros per KWh in the first half of 2017, placing Greece in 17^th place on an EU household electricity cost list, the EU data showed.

Without taxes and surcharges, the actual cost of electricity in Greece fell by 2.1 percent, to 0.1175 euros per KWh from 0.12 euros.

Given these figures, not including taxes and surcharges, households consuming 2,500 KWh of electricity in the first half of this year would have have paid 293.75 euros, or  6.5 euros less than a 300.25-euro amount covering last year’s first half.

However, as a result of these taxes and surcharges, any household registering such a consumption level ended up paying 70 euros more for electricity in this year’s first half – or 485 euros compared to 415 euros in the first half last year.

The cost of electricity in Greece is among Europe’s lowest but consumers end up paying hefty amounts, given income levels, as a result of taxes and surcharges.

Electricity bill surcharges – regardless of the supplier – include municipal, property and ERT state radio and TV fees that represent approximately 20 percent of power bill sums.