Nearly four in ten households in Albania are unable to keep their homes adequately warm. These figures place Albania, alongside Kosovo, at the top of the region for “energy poverty.”
Albania and Kosovo have the highest shares of households relative to their populations that cannot afford to keep their homes warm due to high costs and low incomes.
Figures published by the OECD show that nearly 40% of households in Kosovo and 38% of households in Albania are unable to adequately heat their homes, among the highest rates in Europe.
Other countries in the region record significantly lower rates, while the European average stands at 10.6%.
The rate is 23% in North Macedonia, 14% in Montenegro and 9.5% in Serbia. The phenomenon is commonly referred to as “energy poverty.”
However, for Albania, the report estimates that despite a reduction in electricity prices a year ago, 27% of the population continues to face difficulties paying utility bills.
For these reasons, the government has drafted the Social Protection Strategy through 2030, which includes measures to tackle energy poverty, including strengthening financial support schemes and promoting the use of solar panels in rural areas.
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