Electricity prices in Montenegro are among the lowest, with no announcement of an increase yet

The price of electricity for households in Montenegro last year, including all taxes and value added tax, amounted to 9,98 cents per kilowatt hour, while the average price in European Union members using the same methodology was three times higher and amounted to 28,96 cents.

This was stated, among other things, in the Report on the State of the Energy Sector of Montenegro for 2025, which was prepared and submitted to the Parliament by the Regulatory Agency for Energy and Regulated Utilities (REGAGEN).

Electricity is cheaper in only four European countries - Turkey where a kilowatt hour costs 6,36 cents, in Georgia with 7,31 cents, in Kosovo with 8,77 cents and in Bosnia and Herzegovina with 9,66 cents.

According to this data, electricity for households is the most expensive in Ireland at 40,42 cents, Germany at 38,69 cents, Belgium at 34,99 cents, Denmark at 33,12 cents, Austria at 32,72 cents, Czech Republic at 32,17 cents... Among neighboring countries in the region, a kilowatt hour in North Macedonia costs 11,61 cents, in Albania at 11,75 cents, in Serbia at 11,9 cents, in Croatia at 16,58 cents, in Slovenia at 21,21 cents, in Greece at 23,78 cents,... Among EU members, Hungary has the cheapest electricity at 10,82 cents per kilowatt hour.

The report states that electricity prices increased in a significant number of European countries last year, as shown by Eurostat data.

"Changes in electricity prices in the second half of 2025 compared to the second half of 2024 varied across countries. The largest increases in household electricity prices in the EU were registered in Romania - 55,29%, Austria - 34,26%, Luxembourg - 31,67% and the Netherlands - 18,70%. These increases were mainly influenced by network costs, as well as reductions in subsidies and surcharges," the report stated.

They also indicate that prices have fallen in several countries, and the largest reductions in electricity prices for households in the EU were registered in Finland - 17,41%, Cyprus - 14,67% and France 12,47%.

The price of electricity in Montenegro has practically not changed for about 15 years, with certain changes to items that did not significantly affect the final bill.

"In 2023, the legally prescribed restrictions on the increase in electricity prices for households and small customers who do not belong to the household category ceased to apply, and, in this regard, EPCG had the right to set electricity prices for end customers completely freely. In 2025, EPCG maintained the same supply prices for customers connected to the transmission and distribution system, as in the period before the expiry of these restrictions," the Report stated.

Last year, the electric power company Elektroprivreda incurred a loss of 92 million euros because the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant, the largest producer, was not operating for eight months due to reconstruction. Because of this and slightly lower rainfall, the company had to pay 146 million euros to purchase the missing amount of electricity from imports - an average of 106 euros per megawatt, while it sold it to citizens for 55 euros. Last year, EPCG also took out special-purpose loans to import the missing electricity of 78,5 million euros.

The company's management recently reiterated that it will not increase the price of electricity for customers this year. The EPCG electricity bill includes active energy items in higher and lower tariffs (cheap and expensive electricity), which makes up about half of the total bill amount. The remaining part belongs to other energy companies, fees and value added tax.

The Regulatory Agency determines the allowed revenue and the amount of items on the bill for the Montenegrin Electricity Transmission System (CGES) and the Montenegrin Electricity Distribution System (CEDIS).

At the beginning of next year, there should be a significant reduction in the item for CGES, which "Vijesti" previously wrote about. In the period 2022-2025. this company generated revenues from fees for the use of transmission lines and submarine cables for Italy, which are one hundred million euros higher than what the Energy Regulatory Agency had predicted through the approved revenue. According to regulatory rules, this excess revenue is deducted from their item on the bill for domestic consumers in the next regulatory period 2027-2029, i.e. bills for households and other consumers in the next three-year period should be lower by that amount.

Part of the excess money collected, according to the Regulator's methodology, should also go to domestic electricity producers.

Among the cheapest both in terms of purchasing power and prices by capital city

The Regulatory Agency's report also published data on electricity prices according to purchasing power parity, i.e. what the price would be in relation to household incomes in those countries.

And according to these parameters, Montenegro would be among the countries with the lowest electricity prices, or fifth out of 34 countries.

According to this form of methodology, in relation to purchasing power, electricity would be cheaper in Malta, Hungary, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey, and the most expensive in Romania and the Czech Republic.

The Report also states that the Austrian regulator E-Control, the Hungarian regulator MEKH, and the research and consulting firm VaasaETT, produce a monthly study showing average household electricity prices for 33 cities in Europe.

Of these cities, only three capital cities have a cheaper average price than Podgorica: Kiev, where a kilowatt hour costs 8,9 cents, Budapest with 9,51 cents, Belgrade with 11,06 cents, while in the Montenegrin capital the average price was 11,07 cents.

The capital city with the most expensive electricity is Berlin, where you have to pay 38,86 cents for the consumption of one kilowatt, followed by Copenhagen with 37,38 cents, Bern with 36,61 cents, Dublin with 36,01 cents, Brussels with 35,92 cents, London with 35,89 cents, Prague with 35,37 cents, Vienna with 35,14 cents...