Energy poverty has emerged as one of the major socio-economic challenges in Central Europe over the past few years. While the phenomenon was already present especially among specific vulnerable groups prior to 2021, the combination of an unprecedented energy crisis, high inflation, and rising living costs has significantly broadened the range of households at risk. In
the Visegrád Four (V4) countries in particular, structural factors such as lower purchasing power, high dependence on fossil fuels for heating, and a comparatively inefficient housing stock have amplified the impacts of external shocks on household energy affordability.

This paper examines energy poverty in the V4 countries at the intersection of these two dynamics: the aftermath of the recent energy crisis and the anticipated impacts of ETS2. It assesses how energy poverty has evolved in recent years using available objective and subjective indicators, identifies structural vulnerabilities specific to the V4 region, and analyses how future
carbon pricing may interact with existing socio-economic conditions. The aim is to contribute to an evidence-based discussion on how climate policy can be designed and implemented in a way that is both socially fair and economically effective.