(The Nanticoke generating station, in Ontario on the shoreline of Lake Erie, was built in 1973 and at one time was the largest coal-fired power generating station in North America. The station, operated by Ontario Power Generation stopped using coal as fuel in 2013, and the station was later closed. Plans are in the works to establish a 40-megawatt solar farm at the site.Brian Thompson/Brantford Expositor/Postmedia Network)

 

According to the EU, 54 million people already cannot afford their energy bills

By Mark Milke

Special to the Financial Post

Re-Published: July 28, 2019

Europe has become a continent where families are often asked to pay exorbitant amounts for basic needs, including energy. That has led to what is known as “energy poverty.” Many are not able to afford household power bills, especially in winter but also during summer heat waves.

The number of Europeans affected by this problem is high. According to the European Union in its 2015 report on rising energy costs, fully 11 per cent of its member states’ population — that’s 54 million people — already cannot afford their energy bills. The EU further estimates that fully one-quarter of residents, or 128 million people (and that includes the existing 54 million), are at risk of being energy poor.

Romania’s energy poverty, for example, clocks in at between 40 and 50 per cent of the population. Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Belgium, Malta, Slovakia, Italy, Ireland and even the United Kingdom record energy-poverty rates of between 20 and 30 per cent of their populations.

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