Greeks save on food to pay energy bills

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Every second household in Greece saves on food to be able to pay electricity and heating bills.

These results were shown by a study conducted by the Greek Consumer Association EKPOIZO within the framework of the European Reverter program in collaboration with the Laboratory of Mining Technologies and Ecological Mining of NTUA (project coordinator) and the Center for Renewable Sources and Energy Saving (ENERGY). The study was conducted among households in Athens and Attica.

75% of Greek households have reduced their use of heating and about 50% of hot water

These studies demonstrate the extent of energy poverty in Greece. They show that a significant proportion of households are at risk of energy poverty, which can be mitigated through home energy retrofit programs, which should be accompanied by increased subsidies for energy-vulnerable populations, reduced bureaucracy and targeted information about programs and optimal use of available energy resources (green energy) .

Notably, about half of households report that they are unable to keep their homes warm or cool enough. A fifth of households reported late payment of their energy bills, and around 5% said they had experienced a power/gas cut in the past 12 months.

Households report health problems due to insufficient heating
According to the survey results, approximately a third of households report health problems associated with insufficient heating and/or high humidity in the home (36.15%).

Approximately 80% of households have reduced their electricity consumption over the past 12 months – by more than 75% for heating and by about 50% for hot water – in order to be able to pay for energy.

Some 36% of households spend more than 10% of their disposable income on energy bills, and 67.23% said energy suppliers treat low-income consumers unfairly and especially make their lives easier by allowing them to pay off debt with more frequent payments.

Socio-economic profile of study participants

• 81% of households consisted of two to four people. In addition, approximately a fifth of households surveyed had at least one member with a disability or long-term illness, and 16.3% of households had at least one member long-term unemployed.
• All households with a net monthly income of less than 680 euros said they had serious problems surviving, while around 75-80% of households with incomes between 680 and 1,250 euros said they were having difficulty making ends meet.
• This percentage drops to 50-60% for households with income between €1,251 and €1,950.
• Characteristics of houses and heating systems: about 40% of houses were built before 1980 and lack basic insulation characteristics; 22.6% were built between 1981 and 1995; 23.4% – between 1996 and 2005, and the rest – after 2006.
• 71.42% stated that they own a home, while it should be noted that 31.9% have loans and mortgages.
• About 56% heat their homes using central heating systems, dominated by fuel oil (41.1%) and natural gas (14.5%).
• The remaining households mainly use air conditioning systems (13.9%), individual heating with natural gas (12.3%) and electrical appliances (4.6%).
• It is interesting to note that 9 in 10 of those with oil central heating and 8 in 10 of those with natural gas central heating also use additional heating systems, mainly air conditioning (46.09%) and electrical appliances (25.09%). 58%).
• About 2.5% of survey participants said that they They don’t heat their house at all.

Energy costs

About 20% of households operate the heating system less than 2 hours a day or not at all, and 35% – from 2 to 4 hours a day. As a result, more than half of households report indoor temperatures below the WHO recommended temperature of 18-21ºC.

This finding is particularly concerning because the percentage of households reporting health problems due to insufficient heating at home temperatures of 15-18°C is twice the percentage at home temperatures of 18-21°C, and the percentage at in a house below 15°C it is about four times higher.

Average total energy costs per year are approximately 1900 euros

Energy costs are influenced by home size, heating system type, and household characteristics, as unemployed households tend to spend less.

Difficulty making ends meet

Overall, 47.5% of households said they struggle to meet monthly expenses and only 33.62% can make ends meet on current income, while 10.5% live comfortably.

To pay your electricity and heating costs for the last 12 months:

• every second household has cut food costs
• approximately every fifth household has cut costs on medicines
• four out of five cut costs on electrical appliances and lighting
• every second person saves on warm water
• three out of four households have reduced their home heating costs
• four out of five households cut spending on entertainment and three out of five on travel.

There is no data on how long the study was conducted, but it should be recalled that since last year the government has been subsidizing electricity bills for many and heating bills for a few.

Commission EU called on its members to reduce energy support measures for their citizens by the end of 2023.

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