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France’s Energy Poverty Deepens as New Data Land and Planned Aid Cuts Draw Protests

Official trackers report more households cold and struggling to pay bills.

Overview

  • The national observatory reports 3.1 million households in energy poverty in 2023, equating to 10.1% of the population under its 8%-of-income threshold measure.
  • The energy mediator’s 2025 barometer finds 35% felt cold at home and 36% struggled to pay gas or electricity bills, with supplier actions over unpaid bills reaching about 1.2 million in 2024.
  • The chèque énergie budget fell from €900 million to €720 million in the 2025 finance law, and the 2026 draft budget would cut a further €225 million if unchanged.
  • The FNCCR warns that more than 1.5 million households could lose access to the chèque énergie, which averages roughly €143 per beneficiary each year.
  • MaPrimeRénov’ was suspended over the summer and reopened with aid levels roughly halved, as 12.7% of primary residences—about 3.9 million homes—remain energy-inefficient, prompting a national day of action on November 18.