Overview

• Official data show 5.3 million people, or 6.3% of the population, could not heat their homes adequately in 2024, down from 8.2% in 2023 and below the EU average of 9.2%.
• Household energy prices were 1.9% lower year over year in September 2025, yet they remain 50.3% higher than in 2020, with gas up 0.7% and district heat down 2.2% versus last September.
• The Heizspiegel 2025 estimates annual heating costs for a 70 m² gas‑heated flat at about €1,180, roughly 15% higher than a year earlier, with higher advance payments reported by tenants.
• Regional reporting highlights acute pressure in Sachsen‑Anhalt, where district heating faces high fixed costs and high vacancy, and about a quarter of adults live at risk of poverty or material deprivation.
• Debt advisers say energy arrears are increasingly affecting middle‑income households, while health experts warn that prolonged cold at home raises respiratory, cardiovascular and mold‑related risks.