Data: IEA, Energy Prices and Taxes, 3rd Quarter 2018; Note: The prices shown reflect U.S. dollars per megawatt-hour using "purchasing power parities," which is a rate of currency conversion that equalizes the purchasing power to buy the same amount of goods and services in different countries; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios
The prices people pay to power their homes vary widely depending on government policies and the type of power, according to the International Energy Agency.
The big picture: Western European nations are saddled with the highest electricity prices in the world due to high fees and taxes. Other countries, such as the U.S., are far lower — partly because of lower taxes. Middle Eastern nations, which aren’t represented on this chart because most don’t have complete data with the IEA, have even lower prices because many of them subsidize electricity prices for their citizens
