Despite living in a country known for its mild climate, hundreds of thousands of Portuguese households are living in energy poverty as they struggle to heat their homes amid the cost of living crisis. Many are also forced to live in poor housing conditions due to "limited regulation" at the time of their construction in the 80s and 90s. "The majority of the houses in Portugal have no insulation, the windows are simple with wooden structures in most cases, there is no insulation in the walls or under the roofs. All this makes our vulnerability in terms our environment a real problem," says Pedro Gouveia, a researcher in environment and sustainability at Lisbon University. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES