Skype Poll Indicates Approximately 1.8 Million Individuals Endured Cold Winter Due to Elevated Heating Expenses

Approximately 1.8 million individuals experienced a lack of adequate heating during winter due to exorbitant heating costs, according to a survey.

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2025 May 9 . 2:40 AM

2 min read

Engaging in thermal expansion: Creating or elevating temperature-induced hotness within an entity.

A Bitter Chill: Over 1.8 Million Homes Left in the Cold Due to Skyrocketing Heating Costs

Over 1.8 million individuals faced freezing conditions in winter due to sky-high heating expenses. - Skype Poll Indicates Approximately 1.8 Million Individuals Endured Cold Winter Due to Elevated Heating Expenses

Last winter saw a significant drop in temperatures, and the expenses of heating with gas didn't help the situation. Thorsten Storck, energy expert at Verivox, put it quite simply, "it got damn expensive." The return to the full VAT rate on natural gas in April 2024 and the continued rise of the CO2 price made homes far icier than they should've been.

1,007 individuals aged 18 to 79 were surveyed to get a feel for how the populace fared during the winter. The survey seems to accurately represent the population in terms of age, gender, and federal state.

Why Hike in Heating Costs?

So, what's causing these higher heating costs? Well, here are a few factors:

Rising Gas Prices and Taxes. The price of natural gas for consumers has shot up by about 23% mainly due to market conditions and the chilly weather. Moreover, the reinstatement of the 19% VAT rate on natural gas in April 2024 has added an extra financial burden to consumers.
Weather Factors. The winter of 2023-2024 wasn't your typical snooze-fest. It was colder than usual, which led people to crank up their heaters, increasing consumption and the bills that came with it. The first quarter of 2025 was also colder than expected, straining energy supplies.
Supply Constraints. There was a severe drop in wind power generation in Germany during February 2025 (42% less than the previous year), causing a rise in gas-fired power generation and, consequently, increased demand for gas.
High Heating Oil Prices. Heating oil prices have eased off their 2022 peak but are still hovering around one euro per liter as of late 2024, adding to the financial pressure for oil users.

The Bite of Higher Heating Costs

With increased gas prices, higher taxes, and increased consumption, single-family homes ended up paying around EUR 1,858 for heating during the last heating period, up from EUR 1,515 previously. With energy expenses taking a bigger slice of people's budgets, it's no wonder households are feeling the squeeze.

Despite a slight decrease in overall energy prices by March 2025 compared to the previous year, the relentless high heating costs during the winter months have contributed to inflation and cost-of-living concerns. It's a colossal freezeout for over 1.8 million households that simply couldn't afford to stay warm.

The rise in the number of people who have died from heat exposure in the United Kingdom, over 1 million in the last year, could be a concerning health-and-wellness issue linked to the intense cold homes experienced due to skyrocketing heating costs.
The science behind the higher heating costs reveals factors such as rising gas prices and taxes, weather conditions, supply constraints, and high heating oil prices.
As Verivox's energy expert Thorsten Storck put it, "it got damn expensive" during last winter due to a return to the full VAT rate on natural gas in April 2024 and the continued rise of the CO2 price.
With fitness-and-exercise enthusiasts cranking up their heaters during the unusually cold winter months and higher bills following, the importance of adopting energy-efficient strategies within health-and-wellness practices could become increasingly vital to minimize costs.