The EPAH Annual Conference Agenda Unveiled: A Key Event to Share Insights and Innovations in Tackling Energy Poverty

The much-anticipated agenda for the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) Annual Conference, set to take place on 15-16 October 2024 in Barcelona, has been officially revealed. This event promises to bring together policymakers, experts, and advocates from across Europe to explore strategies to combat energy poverty through insightful panel discussions, interactive workshops, and shared experiences.

Organised by DG ENER, in collaboration with the Provincial Deputation of Barcelona (Diputació de Barcelona), the city of Barcelona, the European Committee of the Regions, and the European Economic and Social Committee, with the support of the Ecoserveis association, the conference marks a pivotal moment for local government representatives. It comes as the EPAH's technical assistance scheme has been completed, providing a platform for these representatives to present the lessons learned, results, and challenges they encountered in addressing energy poverty within their communities.

The agenda features a variety of panel discussions and workshops, focusing on practical projects and innovative solutions. Highlights include panels such as "Artificial Intelligence and Energy Poverty: Innovative Solutions and Strategic Alliances", which will explore the novel use of AI-driven solutions to address energy poverty. Another key session, "Renovation for Tackling Energy Poverty", will address the potential of Social Climate Plans, drawing on insights from the ComActivate project in Central and Eastern Europe. Crucially, the panel session “Recognition of Gender Dimension in Energy Poverty Discussions” will highlight how women are disproportionately impacted by energy poverty and explore ways to ensure gender equality in the energy sector.

On the other hand, workshops will cover topics such as labour inclusion for vulnerable groups and data-driven policymaking. The workshop "One-Stop Shops for Inclusion of Vulnerable Consumers" will present examples from the ReHABITA project, showcasing methods to enhance outreach and support for energy-poor citizens. Meanwhile, based on the results of the WELLBASED EU project, the workshop “Introducing Health in the Design of Urban Programmes to Fight Energy Poverty” will provide insights into the effects of energy poverty on health.

In addition to these rich discussions, the conference will provide a unique opportunity for participants to visit Barcelona’s Energy Advice Points, a key initiative that helps citizens exercise their energy rights.

For a complete overview of what the Annual Conference has in store view the agenda.

If you are interested in joining the conference onsite, register by 4 October at 11:00 am CEST. 

Parts of the conference will be livestreamed, allowing those interested to follow remotely. Keep an eye on the event page for the live streaming link.

Finally, to stay updated on the event, follow EPAH on X and join the conversation with the hashtags #EPAHConf24 and #energypoverty.