The European energy transition faces a critical challenge: ensuring that vulnerable households can access available support. Although the Social Climate Fund, launching in 2026, will allocate resources to energy efficiency, experience shows low participation in these programmes. The issue is not only economic but also behavioural.

Analysis reveals that energy poverty cannot be solved solely through financial incentives. Factors such as cognitive scarcity, which limits planning capacity, and friction costs — complex forms, bureaucratic procedures — reduce the likelihood of action. Moreover, the way support is communicated matters: impersonal messages, information overload and stigma linked to the 'vulnerable' label discourage applications.

Evidence points to simple, cost-effective solutions: streamline processes, provide clear examples of benefits, use familiar channels and trusted messengers, and apply principles such as social proof and loss framing ('every month without insulation costs you €X'). Limiting choices to avoid decision paralysis and exploring automatic enrolment are also recommended.