Media reported about the difficulties of 47.5 million EU residents in paying for home heating

About 47.5 million residents of the European Union (EU) countries are unable to pay for heating of their homes on their own. This was reported on February 24 by the portal Euractiv with reference to the calculations of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

"In 2019, almost 30.8 million Europeans could not afford to heat their homes. By 2023, this number had increased by more than 50%, to 47.5 million people," the publication said.

According to the portal, the situation was a consequence of rising heating prices in the EU, caused by the energy crisis of 2022, as well as the reduction of support measures for citizens in need. At the same time, most people who are unable to pay for heating are officially employed. Also, about 363,000 people die from hypothermia every year.

As reported Euractiv, the ETUC appealed to the European Commission to develop an action plan to ensure affordable heating for needy residents of Europe.

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