Particle.news
Download on the App Store

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.