These winter energy poverty figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.
Key Winter Energy Poverty Statistics
The main findings are:
- In 2024, 9.2% of the EU population reported being unable to keep their home adequately warm (European Union).
- The EU share unable to keep a home adequately warm fell from 11.2% in 2012 to 6.9% in 2021 (2012 and 2021; European Union).
- In 2023, an estimated 13.0% of English households, or 3.17 million households, were fuel poor under LILEE, compared with 13.1% and 3.18 million in 2022 (2022-2023; England).
- Space heating accounted for 42% of U.S. residential-sector energy consumption in 2020 and cost households $519 on average.
- In 2024, 19.7% of people below the EU poverty threshold reported difficulty affording an adequately warm home, compared with 7.1% above the threshold (European Union).
- The EU share unable to keep a home adequately warm rose to 10.6% in 2023, after reaching 9.3% in 2022 (2022-2023; European Union).
- England’s aggregate fuel-poverty gap was estimated at £1.32 billion in 2023, up 20% in real terms from £1.11 billion in 2022; the average gap was £417 versus £348 (2022-2023).
- New Hampshire households spent an average of $981 on space heating in 2020, while Louisiana households spent $244 (New Hampshire and Louisiana, United States).
- In 2024, Bulgaria and Greece had the highest EU shares unable to afford a warm home at 19.0% each.
- In 2023, 54.0% of low-income English households lived in a property at FPEER band C or better, up from 53.1% in 2022 (2022-2023; England).
- In 2020, 40% of New Hampshire households used fuel oil as their primary heating fuel and 62% of Louisiana households used electricity as their primary heating source (New Hampshire and Louisiana, United States).
- In 2024, Lithuania recorded 18.0% unable to afford an adequately warm home; Spain recorded 17.5%; Portugal recorded 15.7% (Lithuania, Spain and Portugal).
- In 2023, 36.4% of English households, or 8.91 million households, were required to spend more than 10% of after-housing-cost income on domestic energy, up from 27.4% or 6.66 million in 2022 (2022-2023; England).
- In 2020, U.S. households using fuel oil or kerosene as their primary space-heating fuel spent $1,164 on average, compared with $1,010 for propane, $519 for natural gas and $396 for electricity.
- In 2022, 9.3% of people in the EU could not afford to keep their home adequately warm, up from 6.9% in 2021 (2021-2022; European Union).
Contents
- Key Winter Energy Poverty Statistics
- How many people cannot afford an adequately warm home
- Country differences and recent EU trend
- Fuel poverty depth and energy-efficiency context in England
- Heating energy use and costs in U.S. homes
- Measurement limits
How many people cannot afford an adequately warm home
- In 2024, 9.2% of the EU population reported being unable to keep their home adequately warm (European Union). (SDG 7 – Affordable and…)
- In 2024, 19.7% of people below the EU poverty threshold reported difficulty affording an adequately warm home, compared with 7.1% above the threshold (European Union). (SDG 7 – Affordable and…)
Self-reported EU-SILC affordability indicator; not a direct temperature measurement or complete energy-poverty definition.
Self-reported EU-SILC groups; not causal.
Country differences and recent EU trend
- The EU share unable to keep a home adequately warm fell from 11.2% in 2012 to 6.9% in 2021 (2012 and 2021; European Union). (SDG 7 – Affordable and…)
- The EU share unable to keep a home adequately warm rose to 10.6% in 2023, after reaching 9.3% in 2022 (2022-2023; European Union). (SDG 7 – Affordable and…)
- In 2024, Bulgaria and Greece had the highest EU shares unable to afford a warm home at 19.0% each. (SDG 7 – Affordable and…)
- In 2024, Lithuania recorded 18.0% unable to afford an adequately warm home; Spain recorded 17.5%; Portugal recorded 15.7% (Lithuania, Spain and Portugal). (SDG 7 – Affordable and…)
- In 2022, 9.3% of people in the EU could not afford to keep their home adequately warm, up from 6.9% in 2021 (2021-2022; European Union). (Key figures on European living…)
- In 2022, the country-level share unable to keep a home adequately warm ranged from 1.4% in Finland to 22.5% in Bulgaria (EU Member States). (Key figures on European living…)
- Between 2021 and 2022, the EU share rose in 21 Member States; Romania’s increase was 5.1 percentage points and France’s was 4.9 percentage points (2021-2022; Romania and France; 21 EU Member States overall). (Key figures on European living…)
Self-reported EU-SILC indicator.
Self-reported EU-SILC responses.
EU-SILC self-reported affordability measure.
Country EU-SILC values; range does not explain climate, housing or price differences.
Descriptive EU-SILC comparison, not causal.
Fuel poverty depth and energy-efficiency context in England
- In 2023, an estimated 13.0% of English households, or 3.17 million households, were fuel poor under LILEE, compared with 13.1% and 3.18 million in 2022 (2022-2023; England). (Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics in…)
- England’s aggregate fuel-poverty gap was estimated at £1.32 billion in 2023, up 20% in real terms from £1.11 billion in 2022; the average gap was £417 versus £348 (2022-2023). (Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics in…)
- In 2023, 54.0% of low-income English households lived in a property at FPEER band C or better, up from 53.1% in 2022 (2022-2023; England). (Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics in…)
- In 2023, 36.4% of English households, or 8.91 million households, were required to spend more than 10% of after-housing-cost income on domestic energy, up from 27.4% or 6.66 million in 2022 (2022-2023; England). (Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics in…)
- Between 2022 and 2023, English gas and electricity prices rose 19% in real terms and required energy costs rose 27% in real terms after rebates and adjustments (2022-2023; England). (Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics in…)
- In 2023, 81.1% of fuel-poor English homes were FPEER band D, 13.1% band E and 5.9% band F/G; band F/G homes had median energy costs of £4,350 (England). (Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics in…)
Modelled official estimate based on English Housing Survey data; LILEE combines low income with FPEER band D-G.
Modelled LILEE required-cost reduction, not household energy spending.
Modelled energy-efficiency target measure; report says the 0.9-point increase was not statistically significant.
Separate affordability threshold from LILEE; modelled official statistic.
Official report modelling; required energy costs are not actual bills.
Modelled fuel-poverty analysis; not winter-only.
Heating energy use and costs in U.S. homes
- Space heating accounted for 42% of U.S. residential-sector energy consumption in 2020 and cost households $519 on average. (Space heating consumed the most…)
- New Hampshire households spent an average of $981 on space heating in 2020, while Louisiana households spent $244 (New Hampshire and Louisiana, United States). (Space heating consumed the most…)
- In 2020, 40% of New Hampshire households used fuel oil as their primary heating fuel and 62% of Louisiana households used electricity as their primary heating source (New Hampshire and Louisiana, United States). (Space heating consumed the most…)
- In 2020, U.S. households using fuel oil or kerosene as their primary space-heating fuel spent $1,164 on average, compared with $1,010 for propane, $519 for natural gas and $396 for electricity. (Space heating consumed the most…)
EIA RECS annual average; varies by climate, fuel and household and is not a poverty rate.
RECS descriptive costs; not an affordability measure.
RECS primary-fuel shares; do not measure energy poverty.
RECS annual averages by primary fuel; descriptive costs, not causal comparisons or poverty thresholds.