Household gas prices climbed sharply across European capitals between February and April as tensions in the Middle East disrupted fuel supplies and pushed energy costs higher, while electricity prices moved in the opposite direction in many parts of the continent.
New data from the Household Energy Price Index (HEPI), compiled by Energie-Control Austria, MEKH and VaasaETT, showed that residential gas prices in EU capitals rose by an average of 6.8 per cent between 2 February and 1 April 2026.
The increase followed the escalation of conflict involving Iran after joint US-Israeli military action in late February, which triggered volatility in global fuel markets and tightened supply conditions.
Energy analysts said the impact was felt more strongly in gas markets because geopolitical tensions directly affected fuel shipments and supply chains linked to natural gas and oil.
Ioannis Korras, senior energy market analyst at VaasaETT, said the crisis represented a major fuel supply shock, making retail gas prices more vulnerable than electricity markets.
According to the report, Brussels recorded the steepest rise in household gas prices, with costs increasing by 28.8 per cent. Berlin followed closely with a 28.6 per cent increase, while Athens saw prices rise 21.3 per cent.
Other major increases were reported in Vienna, Amsterdam and Rome. Gas bills also climbed above the EU average in capitals including Paris, London and Tallinn.
In contrast, electricity prices across EU capitals fell by an average of 3.1 per cent during the same period. Analysts attributed the decline to stronger renewable energy generation during the spring season and lower overall demand following the winter heating period.
The largest declines in household electricity prices were recorded in Tallinn, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Ljubljana, each reporting reductions of around 15 per cent or more.
Madrid also experienced a significant drop in electricity costs, helped partly by government measures aimed at shielding households from energy price volatility.
Korras said electricity markets in regions with greater renewable energy capacity, particularly in Nordic and Iberian countries, were less exposed to fuel-driven price shocks.
However, countries more dependent on gas-fired power generation saw higher electricity costs. Rome recorded the largest increase in electricity prices at 7.9 per cent, while Dublin, Lisbon and Athens also registered notable rises.
The report highlighted major differences in energy costs across Europe. As of early April, households in Bern, Brussels, Dublin, Berlin and Prague were paying some of the highest electricity prices on the continent.
Analysts said the diverging trends between electricity and gas prices reflected growing structural differences in Europe’s energy systems, with renewable power generation and government interventions helping to soften the impact of global fuel market disruptions in some countries.
