Czechs' fears of rising energy prices grow: 60 percent now expect prices to rise

Fears among Czech households about how energy prices will develop are growing. Now, 60 percent of Czechs expect them to rise, the highest share in the past two years. By contrast, only seven percent of people expect prices to fall. People most often cite the war in the Middle East and US policy as the main reasons for rising prices. So far, however, these worsening expectations have had little effect on consumer behaviour: only around one in seven people plan to switch suppliers, while more than three-quarters are not considering it at all. The findings come from a survey by epet energie, made available to the Czech News Agency.

The share of Czechs expecting energy prices to rise further has jumped compared with previous years. Last autumn, around 49 percent of people said they feared prices would rise; in spring 2024, the figure was about a third of respondents. The number of people expecting energy prices to fall has also declined, from 15 percent last year to seven percent now.