“Energy poverty”: 38% of families in Albania cannot heat their homes

Almost 4 in 10 Albanians cannot manage to keep their home warm in Albania. These figures rank the country, together with Kosovo, at the top of the region for “energy poverty.”

Albania and Kosovo have the highest number of families, relative to population, that cannot keep their home warm, because of high costs and low incomes.

Figures published by the OECD show that about 40% of families in Kosovo and 38% of families in Albania cannot heat their homes, and these remain the highest rates in all of Europe.

The countries of the region have a much lower indicator, while the European average is 10.6%.

The rate is 23% in North Macedonia, 14% in Montenegro and 9.5% in Serbia. The phenomenon is otherwise known as “energy poverty.”

Nevertheless, for Albania the report assesses that, despite the reduction in the price of electricity a year ago, 27% of the population constantly faces difficulties paying utility services.

For these reasons, the government has drafted the Social Protection Strategy until 2030, which foresees measures against energy poverty, including the consolidation of financial schemes and the promotion of solar panels in rural areas.