Quote of the day "If you look at the cost of living [in the EU], there are two factors that really determine how expensive it is for a person to live. The first is housing costs and the second is energy prices. In Europe, during a typical winter, almost 50 million people struggle to pay their heating bills. If you can't pay for heating, you basically have to choose between not eating or being cold. European Commissioner Dan Jorgensen. Jorgensen said that almost 50 million Europeans are struggling to pay for electricity.