Adequate heating, hot water, cooling, lighting and energy to power appliances are essential services needed to guarantee energy-efficient homes, basic levels and decent standards of living and health.
As defined by the Energy Efficiency Directive energy poverty means a household’s lack of access to essential energy services, where such services provide basic levels and decent standards of living and health, including adequate heating, hot water, cooling, lighting, and energy to power appliances, in the relevant national context, existing national social policy and other relevant national policies, caused by a combination of factors, including at least non-affordability, insufficient disposable income, high energy expenditure and poor energy efficiency of homes.
Easy access to these energy services and products empowers European citizens. In cases, energy poverty occurs when energy bills represent a high percentage of the income of consumers and it can affect their capacity to cover other expenses. It can as well occur when consumers are forced to reduce the energy consumption of their households and consequently, this affects their physical and mental health and well-being. Additionally, inaffordability, insufficient disposable income, high energy expenditure and poor energy efficiency of homes contribute to the challenge. In 2022, 9.3% of the EU population declared that they were not able to keep their home adequately warm with the most vulnerable demographic groups being the most affected.
The Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) is the leading EU initiative aiming to eradicate energy poverty and accelerate the just energy transition of European local governments.
EPAH’s mission is to be the central platform of energy poverty expertise in Europe for local authorities and all stakeholders interested in taking action to combat energy poverty in Europe by providing direct support, online trainings, and research results and by building a collaborative network of stakeholders interested in taking action to combat energy poverty in Europe.
Building on the EU Energy Poverty Observatory legacy, the EPAH adapts an action-based approach by creating a space for collaboration and exchange for local and regional authorities planning a variety of measures to tackle energy poverty in the pursuit of a just and fair transition.
Information about EPAH can be found on the EPAH leaflet in English and in all EU languages.