Shivering, sweating and struggling: a qualitative study exploring the relationship between energy poverty and mental wellbeing across three European cities.
6 affiliations
- 1Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds Woodhouse, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
- 2Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molenwaterplein 40, Rotterdam, 3001 AL, The Netherlands.
- 3Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, TNO, Energy Transition Studies, Netherlands, P.O. Box 96800, Amsterdam, The Hague, 2509 JE, The Netherlands.
- 4Fundación de la Comunidad Valenciana para la Promoción Estratégica, el Desarrollo y la Innovación Urbana (Valencia Innovation Capital, VIC), C/de Joan Verdeguer, 16, Valencia, 46024, Spain.
- 5Valencia Sostenible, C/Joan Verdeguer 16, Nave 2, Valencia, 46024, Spain.
- 6Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molenwaterplein 40, Rotterdam, 3001 AL, The Netherlands. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
The inability to meet energy needs, referred to as energy poverty, impacts mental wellbeing, hindering people's capacity to cope with the challenges that emerged from this constraint. Qualitative research on the relationship between energy poverty and mental wellbeing is limited and has primarily been conducted in the United Kingdom. This study aimed to explore this relationship in three European cities with distinct climates, societal characteristics and governance arrangements.Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals experiencing energy poverty in Leeds (United Kingdom), Heerlen (the Netherlands) and Valencia (Spain). Thematic analysis was guided by the Conceptual Framework for Public Mental Health.Results
Interviews with 36 participants across Leeds, Valencia, and Heerlen revealed largely similar experiences linking energy poverty to mental wellbeing. Participants described persistent fear and worry about energy costs, thermal discomfort affecting mood and sleep, reduced agency over living conditions, and housing constraints shaping family relationships and social interactions. Experiences with public authorities further influenced wellbeing, with feelings of being acknowledged or overlooked emerging as key determinants. Although some contextual differences were observed, particularly related to climate, the pathways through which energy poverty affected mental wellbeing were consistent across the three cities.Conclusions
The consistency of experiences across three European cities suggests that the mental‑health impacts of energy poverty are systemic rather than context‑specific. Our findings underscore the need for multilevel interventions that address the complex determinants of mental wellbeing within energy‑poor populations, operating simultaneously at the individual, family, and community and structural levels. We call upon the public health field to engage in this issue, to protect and advocate for the mental wellbeing of people experiencing energy poverty, as society transitions to a low-carbon future.
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BibTeX
@article{ambrosioalbala2026shivering,
title = {{Shivering, sweating and struggling: a qualitative study exploring the relationship between energy poverty and mental wellbeing across three European cities.}},
author = {Pepa Ambrosio-Albala and Merel Stevens and Caroline van Ooij and Beverley Searle and Noemi Garcia and Pilar Jordá and Lucie Middlemiss and Amy van Grieken},
journal = {BMC public health},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28660-y},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897544},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Shivering, sweating and struggling: a qualitative study exploring the relationship between energy poverty and mental wellbeing across three European cities.
AU - Pepa Ambrosio-Albala
AU - Merel Stevens
AU - Caroline van Ooij
AU - Beverley Searle
AU - Noemi Garcia
AU - Pilar Jordá
AU - Lucie Middlemiss
AU - Amy van Grieken
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC public health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28660-y
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897544
AB - Background The inability to meet energy needs, referred to as energy poverty, impacts mental wellbeing, hindering people's capacity to cope with the challenges that emerged from this constraint. Qualitative research on the relationship between energy poverty and mental wellbeing is limited and has primarily been conducted in the United Kingdom. This study aimed to explore this relationship in three European cities with distinct climates, societal characteristics and governance arrangements.Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals experiencing energy poverty in Leeds (United Kingdom), Heerlen (the Netherlands) and Valencia (Spain). Thematic analysis was guided by the Conceptual Framework for Public Mental Health.Results Interviews with 36 participants across Leeds, Valencia, and Heerlen revealed largely similar experiences linking energy poverty to mental wellbeing. Participants described persistent fear and worry about energy costs, thermal discomfort affecting mood and sleep, reduced agency over living conditions, and housing constraints shaping family relationships and social interactions. Experiences with public authorities further influenced wellbeing, with feelings of being acknowledged or overlooked emerging as key determinants. Although some contextual differences were observed, particularly related to climate, the pathways through which energy poverty affected mental wellbeing were consistent across the three cities.Conclusions The consistency of experiences across three European cities suggests that the mental‑health impacts of energy poverty are systemic rather than context‑specific. Our findings underscore the need for multilevel interventions that address the complex determinants of mental wellbeing within energy‑poor populations, operating simultaneously at the individual, family, and community and structural levels. We call upon the public health field to engage in this issue, to protect and advocate for the mental wellbeing of people experiencing energy poverty, as society transitions to a low-carbon future.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -