What is energy poverty?

"Energy poverty" is a situation in which a household struggles to pay the monthly energy bills, because a relatively large part of the available income (after deduction of housing costs) is spent on oil/gas and electricity costs. This may mean that the household is unable to meet heating needs, due to a lack of financial resources or the poor condition of the home.

Energy poverty generally affects single people harder than families, and the situation is often worsened by rising energy prices or insufficient insulation of homes. It is generally defined as a situation in which more than 10% of a household's income is spent on energy costs.