Cyprus energy minister: one in ten households in energy poverty
Around 10 per cent of Cypriot households struggle to afford basic energy services, the energy minister said, as the government targets a 10 per cent reduction by 2030.
Roughly a tenth of households in Cyprus live in energy poverty, Energy Minister Michael Damianos said on Tuesday, citing figures from the National Energy and Climate Plan that Nicosia filed with the European Commission in December 2024, as reported by Cyprus Mail.
The government has set an indicative goal of cutting this form of deprivation by 10 per cent by the end of the decade. Energy poverty means a home cannot afford or obtain the energy needed to stay safe and healthy — heating, cooling, lighting and power for appliances.
Speaking at the Tackling Energy Poverty workshop held by Nicosia municipality, Damianos pointed to the Energy Efficiency Law adopted this year, which for the first time defines energy poverty in law, and to a national governance system approved by the cabinet in July that includes an observatory of state agencies tracking the problem yearly.
What it means for residents
For households on tight budgets, the practical help already exists but is scattered across several schemes, and the new monitoring system should make it easier to see who is falling through the cracks.
- Cheaper bills: more than 30,000 households classed as vulnerable pay a special electricity tariff, typically about 20 per cent below standard rates.
- Home upgrades: state grants cover up to 80 per cent of eligible costs for vulnerable households, including PV installations and replacement of water heaters and old appliances.
- Coming funding: about €100 million from the Social Climate Fund, including Cyprus' contribution, is meant to speed up upgrades and widen access to affordable energy.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
