How can local governments harness digital tools to identify and support households in energy poverty—without leaving the most vulnerable behind? Digitalisation is not a silver bullet, but when used wisely, it can be a powerful ally in the fight against energy poverty.
At the 2025 European Sustainable Energy Week, the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) brought together city leaders, researchers, and EU policymakers to explore how digital tools can help identify and support vulnerable households—while also addressing the risks of exclusion and mistrust.
The session, Digitalisation as a Tool to Combat Energy Poverty in Cities, highlighted the critical role of data—especially when used at the local level with empathy and care.
Cristiana Marchitelli,Policy Officer of the the European Commission, opened the session by affirming the EU’s commitment to a citizen-first approach to digital transformation. “The digital transition must be inclusive,” she said, pointing to new legislation like the Data Act and Digital Governance Act, which aim to protect consumer rights while enabling data sharing for the public good.
As one audience poll revealed, the biggest challenge local governments face isn’t a lack of technology, but funding limitations—followed closely by policy constraints and the difficulty of identifying vulnerable groups due to the lack of suitable data.
From Ireland, Fabio Silva, Senior Research Engineer, International Energy Research Centre (IERC) and University College Cork, presented the Irish Energy Poverty Observatory (IPERO). IPERO maps emerging risks of energy poverty by combining datasets on energy, gender, and income. But the barriers are steep. “The biggest challenge isn’t technical—it’s data access and governance,” Silva explained, citing licensing restrictions, GDPR limitations, and fragmented data ownership.
A standout example came from Getafe, Spain, where the municipality’s Energy Poverty Intelligence Unit (EPIU) is turning data into action. In the recently published EPAH video interview, Fernando González explains how the Getafe through the EPIU project is using data to identify and support vulnerable households to tackle energy poverty. By creating a municipal “data lake” that integrates energy use, socio-demographic, and housing data, the team was able to offer personalised support. In one case alone, changes to tariffs and contracts saved households more than €900,000 collectively.
🎥Watch the interview: How Getafe Uses Digital Tools to Fight Energy Poverty
Yet Getafe’s experience also shows that technology is no guarantee of success. Despite installing sensors in more than 70 homes, some residents chose to disable them due to privacy concerns. “If trust breaks, the data link breaks,” warned González during the session.
This human-centred message echoed throughout the discussion. Digital tools must not widen the divide between the connected and the disconnected. Speakers from Lithuania to Ireland stressed the need for transparency, data governance, and inclusive access—whether digital, analog, or hybrid.
Kęstutis Kupšys, Vice-President, Lithuanian Consumers Alliance and Member of the European Economic and Social Committee, warned against the risk of deepening inequality. “Half of households spending more than 15% of their income on energy don’t even own a computer,” he said. While 70% of Dutch households have energy-connected devices, the figure drops to just 2% in Bulgaria. Kupšys called for public tools, such as tariff comparison platforms, that commercial actors are unlikely to provide on their own.
So where does that leave local governments?
Some answers are already emerging. Participants highlighted how intuitive visuals—like Getafe’s colour-coded GIS maps—can help residents understand risk and prompt engagement. Others pointed to Moldova’s Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund as a model of good practice: benefits are applied by default using administrative data, while analog options like phone lines ensure accessibility.
As part of its mission to support local action, EPAH is developing practical guidelines for municipalities on the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation to be published in 2026 . These will help cities make informed decisions, maximising the benefits of digital tools while guarding against risks like data exclusion and privacy breaches. The goal is to equip local governments with concrete insights into what works, what doesn’t, good practices, and how to build trust with the communities they serve.
To ensure that the final guidelines reflect real needs and experiences on the ground, EPAH is launching a short survey for all stakeholders that wish to share their insights on the interlink between energy poverty and digital technology.
📝Take the short survey: Digitalisation and AI for energy poverty
Your input will directly shape the recommendations, case studies, and tools we develop, helping local governments across Europe build inclusive and trustworthy digital solutions in the fight against energy poverty.
What’s next? EPAH will continue fostering dialogue on digitalisation through policy events, technical assistance, and knowledge-sharing. This work contributes to a broader EU vision of a just digital transition—one where no one is left in the dark.
Details
- Publication date
- 12 August 2025