Commission to boost access to affordable and clean energy for all Europeans

Today marks a significant step towards delivering more affordable and accessible energy to all Europeans. The Citizens' Energy Package unveiled by the European Commission aims to reduce energy bills, protect and empower citizens to actively participate in the clean energy transition, tackle energy poverty and help EU countries implement the existing legislation so that citizens can benefit from the transition fully. As a key deliverable of the Action Plan for Affordable Energy, the initiatives presented complement the ongoing efforts to provide affordable energy, with a focus on citizens.

Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen said:

'Access to affordable, secure, and sustainable energy is a basic necessity for us all. Yet in Europe today, this is still not a reality. Nearly 1 in 10 citizens cannot afford to adequately heat their homes, and a growing number suffer during the summer because they cannot properly cool their living spaces. More than 30 million Europeans report struggling to pay their utility bills on time. This is unacceptable. This needs to change. With the Citizens' Energy Package, we aim to make that change happen.'

Retail electricity prices in the EU remain overall higher compared to pre-energy crisis levels, primarily due to external factors influencing wholesale energy prices, such as global supply patterns, weather anomalies influencing the amounts of electricity produced from wind and hydropower as well cold spells in the winter season increasing demand. High energy prices affect vulnerable households the hardest, with millions of Europeans in energy poverty, as well as businesses.

The Citizens' Energy Package aims to address these pressing challenges. Focusing on the components of energy bills, evidence show that electricity taxes and levies account for 25% of the price for households, on average. The Commission supports EU countries in reducing such electricity taxes and levies for households.

The Package is also designed to deliver energy markets that are simpler for consumers to navigate - ensuring easier access to transparent information and enabling them to switch to more affordable and sustainable energy offers. By fostering the development of energy communities and encouraging the uptake of flexible retail electricity contracts, it will help European households reduce their energy costs and reduce their exposure to the price volatility of fossil-fuel based wholesale energy markets. Combined with greater energy efficiency, the potential savings for citizens are significant.

Central to the package is a strong emphasis on protecting vulnerable and energy-poor households, introducing enhanced safeguards against disconnections alongside long-term structural reforms to address the underlying causes of unaffordable energy.

To implement the initiatives and ensure that the Citizens' Energy Package delivers tangible benefits, the European Commission will work closely with EU countries, regional and local authorities, civil society and industry.

Next Steps

Today's Package will be complemented by additional guidance to Member States on energy communities , retail contract flexibility and consumer protection as well as calls for proposals under the LIFE programme to tackle energy poverty.

Related links

• Protecting and empowering energy consumers
• Press release: Commission presents measures to increase EU's energy independence and affordability