Nearly one in seven residents of Cyprus cannot adequately heat their homes in winter

Nearly 15% of Cyprus residents face problems with insufficient heating of their homes during the winter period. This is evidenced by the latest Eurostat data on energy poverty levels in European Union countries.

According to the study, 14.5–14.6% of the population of Cyprus live in homes where it is impossible to maintain a comfortable temperature in winter. This figure is noticeably worse than the EU average and places Cyprus 20th out of 25 countries that provided data.

Across the European Union as a whole, the situation is gradually improving. By the end of 2024, the share of people living in cold homes fell to 9.2%, which is 1.4 percentage points lower than in the previous period.

Against this backdrop, Cyprus continues to remain among the countries with a heightened level of energy vulnerability.

The problem is felt most acutely in Southern and Eastern European countries. The highest indicators were recorded:

• in Greece and Bulgaria — about 19% of the population,
• in Lithuania — about 18%,
• in Spain — approximately 17.5%,
• in Portugal — about 15.7%.

Cyprus, with an indicator of 14.6%, is in the same group of countries where a significant share of the population experiences difficulties heating their homes.

At the opposite end of the list are countries with developed insulation and sustainable heating systems. The most favorable situation is observed in Finland (about 2.7%), as well as in Poland and Slovenia (around 3.3%), Estonia and Luxembourg (about 3.6%).

Experts identify several key reasons why homes are poorly heated:

1. Mass construction without energy standards in the 1970s–1980s

After 1974, residential construction in Cyprus increased sharply, including due to the need for urgent resettlement of the population. The main emphasis was on speed and affordability rather than energy efficiency.

During that period, there were no mandatory requirements for thermal insulation, which led to a large number of homes poorly adapted to winter conditions.

2. Modern standards appeared only in 2007

A turning point was the introduction of pan-European requirements for the energy performance of buildings. In Cyprus, minimum mandatory insulation standards were introduced in December 2007.

Since then, insulation of walls and roofs and the use of double glazing have become mandatory for new construction; however, a significant portion of the housing stock was built long before these changes.