Eight in 10 Portuguese are worried about energy prices, while 77% express concern about fuel costs, reveals the 20th edition of the Barometer on poverty and economic precarity, conducted by Secours Populaire Français. The study, which dedicated a specific chapter to the impact of energy and fuel expenses, covered 10 countries and 10,000 people, with interviews conducted between May 26 and July 6, 2025. Portugal presents values above the European average regarding fuels, where 73% of Europeans are worried, but below the average regarding energy expenses, where 75% of Europeans consider their bills high.
The concern about energy is particularly high in Moldova, where it reaches 95%, followed by Greece with 92%, Italy with 89%, and Romania and Serbia with 88%. In Portugal, 68% consider these expenses high, but 85% say they are worried about the value of electricity and gas bills. Regarding fuels, Greece records 84% of concern, Italy 82%, and Portugal 77%, one of the highest percentages among the countries studied.
The weight of these expenses is forcing many families to make difficult choices. More than one in three Europeans, 38%, say they have given up important expenses, such as food or healthcare, to afford energy bills in the past 12 months. In Portugal, this situation is reported by 28% of respondents, while in Moldova it reaches 68% and in Greece 62%. To reduce bills, 68% of Europeans adopted at least one measure, the most common being turning off heating in some rooms of the house, mentioned by 52%. In Portugal, 57% adopted this practice, 38% limited the temperature to below 18 degrees, and 40% stopped using certain appliances.
The consequences also affect children, with 74% of European parents who could not maintain an adequate temperature reporting at least one negative consequence for their children, whether in rest or concentration. This situation was particularly felt by Greek, Moldovan, and Portuguese parents. The perception of deterioration in access to energy is widespread, with seven in 10 Europeans believing that access to affordable energy is today worse than for their parents' generation.
