While there are significant differences between Member States in terms of developing policies and programmes to reduce energy poverty, most Member States have national experiences to build on. Otherwise, they can adapt initiatives from countries with similar socio-economic contexts, climate conditions, governance models or political trends.
The Atlas of Energy Poverty Initiatives in Europe , promoted by the Ecoserveis Association , is the result of an exhaustive review of the practices carried out in Europe at the end of 2016. The document collects and analyses the 65 best practices against energy poverty and offers a portrait of the situation with the aim of facilitating the process of information exchange, both in terms of the actions themselves and on the knowledge they have generated.
The analysis of these case studies has illustrated the importance of the contribution of social actors in this field. Across Europe, they are refining their expertise in interventions against energy poverty and in how to implement these measures in vulnerable households. The participation of different but complementary actors (such as public departments of energy, housing, welfare, consumer protection and health, as well as civil society organizations) is key to shaping a resilient and efficient system with which to identify and address energy poverty.
At both national and regional levels, it is recommended to design strategies that establish short-term measures to alleviate emergency cases, but also long-term strategies aimed at addressing the structural causes of energy poverty. The combination of short-term and long-term strategies could effectively offset the increasingly upward trends in energy poverty rates observed in many countries.
A link between energy poverty and healthcare costs
Although several case studies have indicated that energy poverty has a direct impact on health, initiatives involving health professionals are scarce. The use of health professionals in energy poverty programs could be very promising in terms of raising awareness, identifying vulnerable households and improving the quality of life of vulnerable households.
Furthermore, energy poverty is linked to substantial indirect costs for Member States’ health systems. Establishing a direct link between measures against energy poverty and cost reduction in health systems could be an opportunity to raise awareness among decision-makers about the need to invest in long-term strategies to reduce energy poverty as a way to optimise public budgets.
Against energy poverty, cooperation between agents is essential
Collaboration and shared responsibility are essential. Energy efficiency is an emerging field in many countries, which is why the policy-making process must foresee the integration of lessons learned from local initiatives , as well as progress achieved in similar countries.
In many of the case studies, there were a number of barriers associated with achieving energy efficiency. More than financial constraints, one of the main impediments was the lack of political will or adequate collaboration between relevant actors. This highlights the need to collaborate and create synergies between the various stakeholders. This could help alleviate situations that are hindered by a lack of knowledge or experience.
Cooperation between actors has been shown to drive creative solutions to the problems encountered . The key aspects in planning energy poverty strategies at national, regional or local level are:
– Work to establish a solid network. Involve public and private actors (businesses and civil society) and ensure cross-cutting knowledge and skills through the participation of actors from different fields (e.g. energy, consumer protection, housing, health and welfare). To maintain solid relationships, it is vital to establish objectives and regular meetings.
– Provide emergency measures and long-term strategies. Long-term sustainability is a key factor in developing efficient programs.
– Learn from the successes and challenges of other organizations and countries at local, national and international levels. Dedicating efforts to learning from other initiatives can be more productive than not doing so.
To summarize, and as has been highlighted, there are many initiatives against energy poverty in Europe. Having to learn about them before being able to implement them may seem like a waste of time. However, the truth is that it can save time and help achieve better results.
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