Gas prices go up 5.6 percent on September 1. The reason: ongoing Middle East conflict. For 6 million households, the bill rises from €162.89 to €172.05 per megawatt-hour. Since April, prices have jumped nearly 24 percent. Regulators say the average hit is just €1.32 per customer.
But experts say it adds up. A typical gas-heated home will pay about €100 more this year. The benchmark price guides all suppliers. Middle East deadlock pushes wholesale costs higher. That hits French bills with a two-month delay. Summer tensions mean a tough autumn ahead.
Europe’s gas benchmark, the Dutch TTF contract, ended August at €68 per megawatt-hour. That is a three-year high. It has more than doubled since February. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is still disrupted. Qatar’s LNG exports, which supply one-fifth of global gas, are stalled. An expert said LNG ships are too expensive to risk. Global supply is tightening fast.
This makes winter preparation harder. Europe normally stores gas in summer. But at end of August, stocks were at 64 percent. That is the lowest in 15 years. France is better off at 69 percent. Germany lags at just 52 percent. Analysts say the EU may not even reach 75 percent before winter.
Goldman Sachs predicts prices could top €100 per megawatt-hour in December. That level is needed to pull gas away from Asia if disruptions continue. An expert warned that demand will drop, but only through factory closures and more energy poverty.
Reference
Le Monde, “Les factures de gaz pèsent de plus en plus lourd dans le budget des ménages,” published August 31, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/08/31/les-factures-de-gaz-pesent-de-plus-en-plus-lourd-dans-le-budget-des-menages_6762175_3234.html