Shivering, sweating and struggling: a qualitative study exploring the relationship between energy poverty and mental wellbeing across three European cities

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. 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. 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. 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.