The European Commission has emphasized the need for alleviating energy poverty, which represents a complex issue, as a key pillar in the context of a just and fair transition within the Green Deal, and the subsequent Renovation Wave. Energy poverty is severely affecting many European countries, but up until now, only a few comparative analyses have been developed to understand the phenomenon. Energy consumption reduction and energy savings are essential for delivering the European Green Deal and spread of the use of renewable energy sources in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease the dependence on imported fossil fuels. The energy efficiency measures are long-term sector-specific interventions, that has a potential positive externality, they can affect other policy areas such as the health costs of treating diseases caused by living in cold homes, efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, and other macroeconomic benefits.
The European Energy Network developed a study on policy and the current status of energy poverty. The study focuses on the facilitating role of energy agencies as enabling agents in the context of renewable energy communities and combating energy poverty, the effectiveness of current policy measures including strategies for fair renewable energy access, and financing mechanisms considering special emergency measures due to Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. Under the coordination of the Programs and Initiatives Department (DPI) at ADENE, the Portuguese Energy Agency, the study was developed together with six other agencies joining the study’s Steering Committee (ADEME, Agency for Ecological Transition, France; AEA, Austrian Energy Agency; CRES, Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving, Greece; Dena, German Energy Agency; Energy Saving Trust, United Kingdom, RVO, Netherlands Enterprise Agency) and received contributions from a total of 14 agencies across Europe.
The study will be presented in the webinar “Energy Poverty mitigation in Europe Potential role for Renewable Energy Communities” on March 14th.