In 2023, one-fifth of the resident population lacked the financial means to keep their homes adequately heated. Within the European Union, Portugal and Spain recorded the highest proportion, at 20.8%. By 2024, this figure had dropped to 15.7% in Portugal, though it remained higher among those at risk of poverty, at 30.9%, and among the elderly population, at 22.0%, according to the INE.
Data from the 2022/2023 Household Expenditure Survey indicate that spending on energy, including electricity, gas, and other fuels, accounted for an average of 5.2% of household monetary income.
For some households, energy costs represented a significantly higher share of their income. This expenditure exceeded 25% of monetary income in 2.7% of households overall, regardless of poverty risk, and in 14.2% of households considered at risk of poverty.
