EU countries urged to lower energy taxes to reduce consumer bills

"If you are at all able to lower taxes on energy, especially on electricity, there is a huge potential to reduce consumer bills. Electricity taxes and levies account, on average, for 25 percent of households' bills and 15 percent of businesses' energy costs across the 27-nation bloc, according to Brussels. Reducing levies could save the average household about 200 a year."

"It needs to be temporary and targeted measures, so we're not talking about changing fundamentally the structure of price setting. The commission also recommended that states ensure that energy suppliers provide customers with best tariff advice on the basis of their specific energy usage and remove unnecessary technical hurdles to switching providers."

European businesses and consumers face high energy costs that disadvantage them against Asian and North American competitors. Recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks have disrupted global energy and transport sectors, intensifying pressure for solutions. The EU energy commissioner proposes reducing taxes on electricity, which currently account for 25 percent of household bills and 15 percent of business energy costs across the 27-nation bloc. Such reductions could save average households approximately 200 euros annually. The commission recommends temporary, targeted tax measures without fundamentally restructuring price-setting mechanisms. Additional recommendations include requiring energy suppliers to provide tailored tariff advice, removing barriers to switching providers, and improving transparency in supply offers.

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