UK electricity prices for industrial users are the fourth most expensive in the European Union, according to a survey of published tariffs by the Electricity Association. The research showed that with less than two months before the 15 European Union countries open their markets to competition, a typical medium-sized British business is charged an average of 4.92 pence per kilowatt hour for a 2.5 megawatt, 40 per cent load-factor supply. But the Electricity Association also estimated that the average UK contract price - rather then published tariffs - is 4.15p/kWh. This significantly lower level puts the UK in the mid-price range of the European market, although that is against tariff prices and not estimated actual prices for those other countries. The highest prices were in Germany, at 6.02p/kWh for a typical user, while the cheapest prices were in Finland at 3.10p/kWh.