Energy Poverty – Between the Energy Crisis and ETS2
Energy poverty has emerged as one of the major socio-economic challenges in Central Europe over the past few years. While the phenomenon was already present especially among specific vulnerable groups prior to 2021, the combination of an unprecedented energy crisis, high inflation, and rising living costs has significantly broadened the range of households at risk. In the Visegrád Four (V4) countries in particular, structural factors such as lower purchasing power, high dependence on fossil fuels for heating, and a comparatively inefficient housing stock have amplified the impacts of external shocks on household energy affordability.