Europe’s energy market is putting renewed pressure on household budgets, with higher prices expected to feed through into electricity, heating, transport and food costs. Osama Rizvi, global market and product strategist at Primary Vision, warned that consumers could face a particularly difficult period in the coming months unless governments provide targeted support.
Speaking in a Euronews interview updated on 24 September 2026, Rizvi said rising energy bills were likely to create a “very strained environment” for households. He argued that the effects would extend beyond utility payments, as energy is a major input for farming, food processing, refrigeration, manufacturing and distribution.
Why higher energy prices can raise food costs
Energy costs influence almost every stage of the food supply chain. Farmers use fuel and electricity to operate machinery, irrigate crops, heat buildings and transport goods. Food manufacturers require energy for processing, packaging and refrigeration, while supermarkets and logistics firms depend on fuel and electricity to move and store products.
When those costs rise, businesses may absorb part of the increase, reduce production or pass additional expenses on to customers. The final effect can vary between countries and products, but energy market pressures can contribute to wider inflation even when the original increase begins outside the food sector.
- Farming: Fuel, electricity, fertiliser production and heating costs can affect agricultural output.
- Food manufacturing: Processing, cooking, chilling and packaging require substantial energy.
- Transport: Higher fuel prices increase the cost of moving food between farms, factories, warehouses and shops.
- Retail: Refrigeration, lighting and distribution costs can add to pressure on food prices.
Households face pressure beyond energy bills
Rizvi said consumers were likely to experience higher energy bills in the months ahead as prices continued to rise. For households already dealing with elevated living costs, a further increase could reduce the money available for food, housing, transport and other essential spending.
The impact is unlikely to be evenly distributed. Lower-income households generally devote a larger share of their budgets to basic needs, meaning they can be more exposed to increases in energy and food prices. Renters, people living in poorly insulated homes and households dependent on heating or transport may also face greater difficulty adjusting quickly.
The warning comes as European governments continue to weigh how best to protect consumers while avoiding measures that would create unsustainable pressure on public finances. Support can include targeted social payments, energy-efficiency programmes or temporary assistance, but the appropriate response depends on national budgets and the causes of the price increase.
A potential social and political issue
Rizvi said governments needed to protect consumers “on the lower end of earning”, warning that rising energy and living costs could become a wider social and political problem. His comments underline how energy affordability can affect more than household finances.
Persistent price pressure may influence public support for governments, energy policy and climate measures. It can also increase demands for tax changes, subsidies or intervention in energy markets. Policymakers therefore face a difficult balance: cushioning households from immediate shocks while preserving incentives to improve efficiency and reduce dependence on volatile energy sources.
Across the European Union, national responses may differ because energy mixes, income levels, housing standards and support systems vary. A policy that provides meaningful relief in one country may be less effective elsewhere. EU-level coordination can help address cross-border energy markets, but many direct measures remain the responsibility of national governments.
What could happen next?
The immediate outlook will depend on how energy prices develop and how quickly higher costs pass through to businesses and consumers. Governments may monitor household bills, food inflation and poverty indicators before deciding whether additional assistance is needed.
Consumers can reduce exposure where possible through energy-saving measures, comparing available tariffs and seeking support for which they may be eligible. However, individual action cannot fully offset market-wide increases, particularly for households with limited income or little control over their housing conditions.
For policymakers, the warning highlights the importance of combining short-term protection with longer-term investment in energy efficiency, resilient supply chains and more predictable energy markets. Without such measures, higher energy prices could continue to affect both household budgets and the cost of essential goods.
Conclusion
Rising energy prices are not limited to electricity and heating bills: they can also increase the cost of producing, transporting and selling food. The latest warning from Primary Vision strategist Osama Rizvi places lower-income consumers at the centre of the debate and calls for governments to respond before energy and food pressures develop into a broader social and political challenge.
