Bulgarian households had the lowest electricity bills in the European Union in the second half of 2013, Eurostat data has revealed.

A family in Bulgaria pays EUR 8.8 per kWh of energy on the average, compared to EUR 20.1 for the EU as a whole.

Romania (EUR 12.8) and Hungary (EUR 13.3) rank second and third, according to the European statistical agency.

In Denmark (EUR 29.4 per kWh) and Germany (EUR 29.2) households have the heftiest bills to meet in the bloc.

They are surprisingly followed by Cyprus and Ireland, which were both severely affected by the financial crisis.

Bulgaria also tops the list of countries with the most expensive gas for household needs, with Portugal, Greece and Lithuania taking the next positions.

Last year electricity bills became a reason for disgruntlement among Bulgarians, as thousands took to the streets to protest against high energy prices and this toppled down former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's center-right government.

The ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), for its part, has lately been accused by many experts (including by some within its own ranks) of keeping energy prices artificially low to prevent renewed tensions in society.

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