Winter is approaching, and while energy bills have fallen since the shock of 2022, when the EU moved to cut its dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine, millions of Europeans are still struggling to keep their homes warm. The EU has now gone a step further, sanctioning Russian liquefied natural gas, and while Europe’s push for energy independence is essential, it hasn’t solved the problem for those who can’t afford to heat their homes.

According to the European Commission Joint Research Centre, around 48 million people in Europe, roughly one in ten, cannot afford to heat their homes adequately. And the trend is worsening, the share of households unable to keep adequately warm rose from about 9 % in 2022, to over 10.6 % in 2023, and the percentage is getting higher by the year. But what can the EU do to ease the needs of the vulnerable ones who cannot warm their homes?

Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.

This episode was produced by Europod in cooperation with ESPON, an EU-funded programme that bridges research with policies.