Public support for Europe’s energy transition remains broadly intact, but consumers increasingly see governments as lagging behind stated climate ambitions.
According to Vattenfall’s latest Energy Barometer, based on a Statista survey of 5,000 consumers across Germany, Finland, Sweden, the UK, and the Netherlands, optimism about decarbonization coexists with persistent calls for stronger policy intervention, infrastructure investment, and long term regulatory clarity.
Roughly half of respondents across the five markets want governments to accelerate investment in energy infrastructure, future technologies, and renewable capacity. The UK stands out, with 60 percent of consumers prioritizing stronger government action, compared with lower levels of support in continental Europe. Germany presents a different dynamic. Sixty five percent of German respondents believe a fossil based energy system is not competitive over the long term, suggesting that skepticism toward fossil fuels is already embedded, even if expectations around policy delivery remain high.
The survey highlights a structural tension facing policymakers. Consumers increasingly accept the premise of a fossil free energy system, but expect governments to shoulder responsibility for enabling conditions rather than relying on individual behavior alone. Finland illustrates this clearly, where 60 percent of respondents prioritize financial incentives and subsidies as the most effective form of government support. In contrast, the Netherlands records the lowest support for government investment in future technologies at 35 percent, reflecting a more fragmented policy expectation landscape.
Despite these differences, willingness to pay for fossil free electricity remains relatively consistent across markets. More than half of consumers in the UK and Sweden say they are prepared to pay a premium, while Germany, Finland, and the Netherlands follow closely with more than 40 percent expressing similar openness. These figures point to a gradual normalization of higher energy costs when framed as a climate aligned tradeoff, although they also raise questions about affordability as wholesale price volatility persists.
Consumer agency remains a central theme in the findings. Seventy percent of respondents believe individual actions can meaningfully contribute to addressing climate change. Climate friendly lifestyles are rated as important by four out of five consumers in the UK and by roughly three quarters of respondents in Sweden and Germany. Engagement in the Netherlands is also high, with 70 percent of consumers reporting active climate related choices, reinforcing the idea that behavioral change has moved beyond niche segments.
Importantly, many of the energy saving behaviors adopted during the recent price crisis appear to be sticking. Half of respondents say they have maintained habits formed during periods of high energy costs. Low effort measures dominate, with 77 percent using fewer lights, 68 percent minimizing waste or taking shorter showers, and 65 percent lowering indoor temperatures. More capital intensive actions, such as purchasing energy efficient appliances, still show strong uptake at 63 percent, suggesting that price signals have had a lasting impact on consumption patterns.
Investment behavior varies sharply by country, reflecting differences in housing stock, policy support, and national energy narratives. Sweden leads in renewable based heating investments, with 55 percent reporting adoption of technologies such as heat pumps, compared with just 17 percent in the UK. Solar deployment is highest in the Netherlands, where 57 percent report investment, more than double the levels seen in Finland and the UK at 19 percent each. At the same time, Finland shows the strongest future interest in solar, with 58 percent indicating plans to invest, signaling latent demand constrained by current conditions rather than lack of interest.
Public acceptance of renewable infrastructure also diverges significantly. In the UK, 84 percent of consumers support renewable projects in their local area, far exceeding levels in Sweden and Finland, where support ranges between 55 and 60 percent, and well above the Netherlands at 35 percent. This disparity suggests that local opposition remains a material risk factor for project development in certain markets, regardless of broader climate awareness.
The survey extends beyond energy into consumption patterns, revealing how climate considerations influence daily decisions. Sixty four percent of UK consumers report shopping in physical stores to reduce the environmental impact of shipping, compared with 55 to 60 percent across the other surveyed countries. Preference for environmentally responsible brands is strongest in the UK at 53 percent, followed closely by Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands, while Germany lags at 42 percent. Second hand clothing purchases for environmental reasons are most common in Finland at 46 percent and Sweden at 41 percent, pointing to cultural differences in circular consumption.
