Nearly nine in ten Cypriots, or 88%, consider the energy transition to be urgent for the country, the highest share in the EU, according to the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) eighth Climate Survey, the results of which were published on Thursday.
At the same time, 55% of Cypriots expect the energy transition to reduce energy bills, compared with 20% across the EU, also the highest share among Member States, according to the EIB.
The survey was conducted by Ipsos bva among 23,000 people across the 27 EU Member States, with 500 people aged 16 and over taking part in Cyprus.
Cypriots mainly expect the energy transition to result in lower or more stable energy prices and less dependence on imported oil and natural gas. In both cases, the share stands at 89%, while 82% expect the transition to help slow climate change.
According to the EIB, in all Member States a majority of respondents expect the energy transition to slow climate change, with the relevant shares ranging from 58% in Estonia to 87% in Hungary.
Energy prices affect purchasing power
More than seven in ten Cypriots, or 72%, said that increases in the prices of natural gas, fuel, heating oil or electricity had significantly reduced their purchasing power over the previous 12 months, compared with an EU average of 60%.
In Cyprus, 25% of respondents said the impact on their purchasing power had been “very significant”, compared with 20% in the EU.
According to the EIB, 47% of Cypriots said they had cut everyday spending on food or healthcare because of price increases, compared with 38% in the EU, while 25% had reduced their heating.
One in five respondents, or 20%, said they had been forced to borrow money, seek financial assistance or delay paying an energy bill, compared with 16% at EU level.
