Exhibition highlights energy poverty in Burgenland

A new travelling exhibition at Burgenland University is drawing attention to energy poverty as part of a project examining the social impact of the transition to cleaner heating, ORF reports.

About 13 percent of households in Austria are affected by energy poverty, meaning residents cannot keep their homes adequately warm or cannot afford their electricity bills. An Energy Poverty Definition Act has been in force since late 2025.

Caroline Nwafor, head of the office coordinating efforts to combat energy poverty, said Burgenland compares favourably on several social indicators. The state’s rate over a three-year period was 7.3 percent, compared with an Austrian average of about 15.9 percent for people at risk of poverty.

But the Caritas Burgenland social advice service is increasingly hearing from people struggling to pay energy costs. Adviser Petra Frank said 420 people, or 41 percent of the service’s clients, were unable to pay their energy bills before the heating season had begun.

The research project, Wärmewende Eisenstadt and surroundings, found a need for further action in its model region, which covers 15 municipalities. About 8,000 fossil-fuel heating systems remain there, mainly gas, project leader Marion Schönfeldinger of Forschung Burgenland said.

Households facing energy poverty often live in buildings in poor condition, which can sharply increase energy costs, Schönfeldinger said. She added that energy poverty is shaped not only by income but also by energy prices, housing quality and energy efficiency.