Energy Poverty Affects One-Third of French Households Amid Rising Costs

A significant portion of the French population has struggled with heating their homes due to high energy bills, prompting calls for policy changes.

Approximately 28% of French households reported suffering from cold temperatures in their homes between 2023 and 2024, double the rate from 2020.
The primary reason for reduced heating was the high cost of energy, with 85% of households concerned about their energy consumption.
In 2023, over one million interventions occurred due to unpaid energy bills, including 265,000 electricity and gas cut-offs, though these were down 18% from the previous year.
The number of households experiencing reduced electricity power increased by 15%, affecting 736,000 homes, highlighting the ongoing issue of energy poverty.
Frédérique Feriaud, from the national energy mediator, has called for a ban on electricity cut-offs, likening electricity to a basic necessity similar to water.