Paris (France) (AFP) – One in three French people has difficulty paying certain electricity or gas bills, according to the 2026 barometer of the national energy mediator published on Tuesday.

Published on: 03/11/2026 - 10:13

Thus, “34% (of households surveyed) say they have encountered difficulties paying certain electricity or gas bills, compared to 18% in 2020”, according to the 20th edition of this energy-info barometer, carried out in September.

The proportion even rises to 55% among those under 35, who “are particularly affected by fuel poverty”.

In addition, 86% of households surveyed believe that their energy bills weigh heavily on their budget, “a stable proportion compared to 2025, but at its highest level since 2007”.

“Faced with the weight of bills, households are experiencing energy sobriety more imposed than chosen and are increasingly impacted by this in their comfort of life. In winter, 72% of them declare having limited the heating of their home to avoid excessively high bills”, compared to 53% in 2020, details this barometer.

And more than a third of households reported having suffered from the cold in their home for at least 24 hours.

But in recent months, with the repeated heatwaves of the summer of 2026, it is the heat which has been a problem, in more than two thirds of the households questioned.

“In total, 28% of households suffered from both the cold in winter and the heat in summer, a proportion which reached 46% among energy check beneficiaries”, the most modest households, underlines the mediator's report.

If they reduce their consumption to save money, the French, on the other hand, face the cost of equipment or investments to switch to less carbon-intensive or more efficient solutions.

The cost of initial expenses thus constitutes "the main obstacle to the electrification of uses, cited by 53% of the respondents concerned, who do not plan to electrify any equipment".

“This barometer reminds us that, for many households, energy remains a source of financial concern and that energy poverty is now evident in winter as well as in summer. The energy transition must allow everyone to better control their consumption and expenses,” commented Bernard Doroszczuk, national energy mediator, quoted in the press release.

© 2026 AFP

The content you are trying to access does not exist or is no longer available.