The shift towards clean, sustainable energy is crucial. But it won't be fair unless those with greater resources carry more of the burden – and those with less get the support they need. Sounds simple, but who exactly is vulnerable in our energy systems?

In the EU project gEneSys, the authors of the Frauenhofer IAO asked over 18,000 people from Germany, France, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Italy: a basic question:

Can you afford the energy your household needs?

The answers reveal that energy poverty isn't rare – it's widespread, systematic, and it varies greatly by country, gender, and location.

The analysis of the Fraunhofer IAO explores:

• Who struggles most to afford energy
• The social factors behind energy vulnerability
• Urban vs. rural differences
• Gender patterns in energy poverty

Learn why fairness in energy policy is not just a moral question – it's a necessity. More details can be read in the Analysis here.

The authors are:

Clemens Striebing, PhD, is a senior researcher at the Centre for Responsible Research and Innovation (CeRRI) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO).

Sabine Loos is a research associate at the Centre for Responsible Research and Innovation (CeRRI) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) and leads projects at the interface between (energy) technologies and society.

Jonas Breitfeld is a student research assistant at the Centre for Responsible Research and Innovation (CeRRI) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO).

Please find here the analysis in the following languages:

German version

French version

Italian version

Portuguese version