Jonathan Carballar knows the hardship of life without electricity.

He was just 17 when a motorbike accident in Madrid left him living with tetraplegia, paralysis affecting all four limbs and the torso. He's now 47, and lives on what's called a "non-contributory disability pension" of around $1,000 a month, which means making ends meet is a constant struggle.

"It's impossible, almost impossible," he tells CGTN at his home in the working-class municipality of Alcobendas, a 20-minute drive from the center of Madrid city.

"The electricity bill, the water bill, building maintenance charges, everything, but the electricity is just unbelievable," he continues.

As the energy crisis resulting from the Iran war worsens, concern is rising that the most vulnerable people in society will slip further into energy poverty.

Costs and consequences of the Iran war

The war in Iran has sent energy costs skyrocketing. Diesel is up 40 percent in Spain and electricity peaks surged by over 700 percent during the first seven days. Even before this latest crisis, Carballar had to endure months without power.

"They cut my electricity for two months and everything I have is electric - the heating, the cooker, imagine what it's like to shower in cold water during the winter here. I bought a gas camping stove just so we could cook and eat, it takes forever just to heat up a glass of milk. It's awful," he said.

Thanks to the help of local charity, the Responsible Energy Foundation, he has managed to get reconnected. It's an organization that energy and internet connection company Visalia forms part of. It states on its website that it has made it a company mission to tackle energy poverty, noting that in 2022 more than 17 percent of Spanish people were affected by energy poverty, which is much higher than the 9.3 percent European average.

With rising prices following the war, Carballar is worried he might get cut off again.

'Worried about everything'

"I'm worried about everything," he continues. "First for the people suffering in this war, I'm worried too that it might spread, and of course, the rising price of everything. I'm seeing it most in the electricity and gas prices."

To further explore this issue, CGTN met with Carlos Susias, the President of European Anty-Poverty Network (EAPN).

"The war in Ukraine caused a rise of energy poverty here in Spain, and now we're very worried about what might happen following the US war in Iran," Susias says.

"The problem is that when energy prices go up, so does the price of food," he adds. "If the war continues to escalate, this could become a real catastrophe. It's already a humanitarian catastrophe, and we still don't fully understand why it was started, what the objectives are, or how long it's going to last."

Spain's multibillion-dollar safety net

The Spanish government has stepped in with a $6-billion safety net, including measures to reduce taxes on fuel and introduce subsidies for fishing, farming, and transport industries. 

"What they announced would help, of course, but sometimes they offer help with one hand, and then take it away with the other, Carballar says.

Susias says the aid should go directly to the people in need so that it doesn't get lost along the way through intermediaries, or go straight to the big energy and providers profit margins.

"If the war lasts much longer, the government measures won't be enough," he warns.

Spain's low wages and levels of inequality are a factor too, he says.

"When energy prices go up, food goes up too, it's a vicious cycle that's more dangerous for vulnerable families," Susias explains. "Each wave of inflation hurts the families who spend 90 percent of their budget on energy and food, I mean we will all be affected, but not equally, families in poverty or at risk of social exclusion will inevitably suffer more."

The US-Israeli invasion of Iran might be a long way from Madrid, but it is causing global consequences hitting hard at a local level that will hurt the most vulnerable among us most.