One in three French people have had difficulty paying gas or electricity bills over the last 12 months, according to the energy mediator's barometer

According to the annual barometer of the energy mediator*, published Tuesday November 3, a third of the 2,000 people questioned (34%) say they have had difficulty paying some of their electricity or gas bills over the last 12 months.

The proportion even rises to 55% among those under 35 and reaches 77% for the category of traders. As a result, almost three in four households decided to turn down the heating in their home last winter in an attempt to spend less. But half of households admit to having suffered from the cold for at least 24 hours.

“Gas price increases at least until the beginning of next year”

“We have been on a high plateau for two years,” assures Franceinfo Frédérique Feriaud, director general of the National Energy Mediator. According to her, before the war in Ukraine, “18% of people in 2020 and 25% in 2021 had difficulty paying their heating bills”. The National Energy Mediator denounces “massive energy insecurity in France” and expects to receive numerous requests this winter. According to experts, 12 million households are in a situation of fuel poverty. A situation that is not going to improve quickly: “We are going to experience increases in gas prices at least until the start of next year,” comments Frédérique Feriaud.

The financial burden of energy bills is a major concern for the consumers surveyed. Thus "89% of households surveyed" say they are concerned about it and 86% believe that it weighs heavily on their budget, "a stable proportion compared to 2025 but at its highest level since 2007", underlines the barometer.

To date, many consumers are adapting their behavior to reduce their energy consumption. They are also mostly in favor of electricity, but the cost of equipment or investments "slows down the transition to less carbon-intensive or more efficient solutions", says the energy mediator in its annual barometer. Installing a heat pump costs “between 10,000 and 15,000 euros”, recalls Frédérique Feriaud.

An independent public authority, the national energy mediator's mission is to inform energy consumers about their rights and to propose amicable solutions to disputes with companies in the energy sector.

*Methodology: The 2026 edition of the barometer published by the energy mediator was carried out between September 2 and 15, 2026 among a representative sample of 2,000 households in mainland France surveyed electronically for the 8th consecutive year.