Energy poverty in Germany: millions of households affected – what now?

Energy poverty in Germany: millions of households affected – what now?

Energy Saving Day was celebrated on March 5th to raise awareness among citizens about their own energy consumption. The challenge of mastering the climate and energy transition is further compounded by the reality of energy poverty in Germany. Loud uni-muenster.de Around three million German households are affected by energy poverty. These households cannot meet their basic energy needs, such as inadequate heating or showering.

Energy poverty, a term that describes financial barriers and the inability to invest in essential energy services, often occurs in conjunction with energy vulnerability. This refers to the rising prices for fossil energy and the reduced opportunities for households to invest in energy-saving renovations.

Extent of energy poverty in Germany

In Germany alone, 75% of homes heat with fossil fuels, increasing the threat of energy poverty. According to a study by the Ökoinstitut, which was carried out on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency, the proportion of vulnerable households suffering from these conditions is around 10%. This corresponds to around three million of the total 30 million households.

Low-income people, especially women and single people, are particularly affected. These groups spend a disproportionate share of their income on energy costs and often have limited access to aid offers such as the planned climate money, which was not implemented due to the failure of the traffic light government. Although offers of help exist, they are often difficult to access for people with low incomes.

Structural problems and possible solutions

Energy poverty is increasingly seen as a separate, structural problem rather than as part of general poverty. A comprehensive analysis shows that the affected households are unable to invest in renovations to improve their energy efficiency due to budget restrictions. Loud oeko.de Therefore, data collection needs to be improved to capture the scale of the problem more effectively.

Looking at the European context, energy poverty affects an estimated 50 million households in Europe. While individuals in Germany are less at risk compared to the European average rate, there is still a continuous increase in the number of those affected. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated economic and social inequalities, making the situation dire for many households. The worst affected are the lowest income brackets, with 15.4% reporting inadequate heating conditions.

Health and social consequences

Cold temperatures in living spaces can not only lead to colds and flu-like infections, but can also cause psychological problems such as stress and depression. This is particularly true for women, who have a disproportionate energy requirement due to the gender pay gap and gender-specific distribution of tasks. They are spending more time at home, which further increases their need for adequate energy services.

In order to effectively combat energy poverty, adjustments are necessary to the social security and minimum insurance systems as well as to energy costs. The need for political action is evident, and it requires targeted monitoring and well-thought-out measures to do justice to the affected households. wecf.org describes the urgency of including a gender perspective and improving the data situation in order to specifically address these challenges.