Overview
- Destatis reports 5.3 million people in 2024 could not afford to heat homes adequately, equal to 6.3% of the population, down from 8.2% in 2023.
- Verivox finds Eastern households spend about 17% more of their income on energy than Western households after purchasing‑power adjustment.
- The disparity is sharpest for heating at roughly 23% higher burdens in the East, with renters, pensioners and residents of poorly insulated homes most exposed and district heating adding strain.
- Official data show household energy prices were 1.9% lower in September 2025 than a year earlier, following a 50.3% rise from 2020 to 2024.
- Analysts forecast steep long‑term increases for gas and oil costs and warn that living in cold homes carries respiratory, cardiovascular and mold risks, strengthening calls for targeted support and efficiency investment.