According to a report by ECO, 40 percent of residents in Lisbon and Porto admit to discomfort in relation to the temperature at home during the winter. In the summer, discomfort occurs for 32 percent of Lisbon residents and 23 percent of Porto residents.

These figures are taken from a study carried out by Lisboa E-Nova, the Lisbon Energy and Environment Agency and AdEPorto, the Porto Energy Agency, with the participation of 1,508 people from Lisbon and 1,201 from Porto.

Health effects

The same study indicates that the impact of thermal discomfort (excessive cold and heat felt at home) on health is felt by 54 percent of participants residing in Lisbon and 49 percent of participants residing in Porto, a statistic that is based on the perception of respondents to this issue.

Humidity (31 percent), air entry through doors and windows, poor thermal insulation of walls (20 percent) and poor thermal insulation of the roof (14 percent) are the four situations of energy inefficiency most frequently identified in Lisbon, while in Porto the entry of air through doors and windows, together with humidity, are the two issues that most concern residents (26 percent each), followed by too much sunlight (9 percent) or, on the other hand, little natural light (8 percent).

Energy poverty

Low income, inefficient buildings and equipment, high energy costs and low energy literacy are some of the factors that contribute to energy poverty, according to the study. According to estimates put forward by the National Long-Term Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty 2021-2050, between 1.2 and 2.3 million Portuguese live in moderate energy poverty and between 660,000 and 740,000 people are in a situation of extreme energy poverty.

In both cities, around 70% of respondents do not know whether their home is classified as energy efficient or to which energy class it belongs.

“Lisbon has defined the alleviation of energy poverty as a priority area of ​​action”, says the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, quoted in a statement. The vice-president of Porto City Council, Filipe Araújo, indicates that the city intends to combine increased energy resilience with the goal of carbon neutrality in 2030.