The 5th annual Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) conference opened with a strong focus on advancing inclusive, practical solutions to energy poverty across Europe. Held on 17–18 March 2026 in Athens, Greece, the event was organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Energy in collaboration with the City of Athens , with support from the local EPAH antenna INZEB.
The conference brought together 154 in-person participants and 63 online attendees from across Europe, representing local, regional and national governments, EU institutions, civil society organisations, and a wide range of stakeholders working at the forefront of energy poverty. It opened with remarks from European and local leaders, including representatives from the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission. The European Commission’s newly released Citizens Energy Package was presented as a strong signal of renewed commitment towards consumer empowerment and protection, with a focus on empowering citizens through better access to information and support, while contributions from national and regional representatives, including Cyprus and the Attica Region, underscored the need for coordinated action, improved data, and stronger links between policy and implementation.
With rising energy costs, constrained household incomes, and inefficient building stock continuing to affect millions, discussions focused on practical, people-centred solutions and the importance of coordinated action across governance levels. Athens provided a fitting setting for these exchanges, with the city’s ongoing efforts to strengthen social resilience and advance the energy transition. The Athens Energy Poverty Alleviation Office, that participants could visit, offers a strong example of how local actors can drive inclusive and community-based responses.
Over two days, the conference programme combined high-level sessions with hands-on learning. Participants engaged in keynote sessions, panel discussions, and interactive workshops, alongside networking opportunities.
In the introductory high-level panel discussion “Inclusive Solutions for a Just Transition: Tackling Energy Poverty Across All Levels of Governance”, speakers addressed shared challenges and common barriers across countries, including administrative complexity, data gaps, and infrastructure constraints. A key message was the persistent difficulty of identifying and targeting vulnerable households, pointing to the need for clearer definitions, stronger data systems, and improved coordination across sectors. Speakers emphasised that solutions must be locally driven and centred on people’s real needs, combining financial support with policy implementation and direct, sustained engagement and trust building with communities. As highlighted during the discussion, tackling energy poverty requires “bringing policies closer to people’s everyday realities.”
Another key discussion, “How National Energy Poverty Observatories Can Support Both Local and National Governments”, underscored the growing importance of national observatories in shaping energy poverty policy and practice. Observatories were presented as essential tools for data collection, monitoring, and coordination, helping to connect national strategies with local actors. At the same time, participants stressed the need for more comparable data and indicators across countries, while maintaining flexibility for varied national contexts. Their effectiveness ultimately depends on strong integration into policy frameworks and collaboration across governance levels and stakeholder groups.
Financing also emerged as a central theme, with the session “Unlocking Financial Opportunities to Tackle Energy Poverty in Europe” highlighting the disconnect between available funds and their real-world uptake by vulnerable households. While a wide range of financial instruments exists, perceived risk and lack of trust continue to limit uptake. Panelists highlighted the importance of trusted intermediaries, such as local authorities or other public institutions such as One Stop Shops, to support lower income borrowers seeking to undertake home renovations and provide much needed guidance. Concrete examples from France illustrated this approach, combining direct support for households, such as the chéque énergie reaching around 5 million citizens, with large-scale renovation schemes like MaPrimeRénov, which has successfully leveraged significant private investment alongside public funding. This underscored the importance of utilising guarantees and trusted intermediaries to scale support, particularly for low-income households. Strengthening the link between financial mechanisms, policy objectives, and real needs also emerged as a key priority.
Building on the priorities and challenges identified during the first day, the second day carried these conversations forward through six parallel sessions, from in-depth panel discussions to interactive workshops on different themes, such as building renovation, data and models, energy communities, digitalisation, policy needs, and at-risk groups. These discussions created space for in-depth exchange, allowing participants to share cross country insights, challenge assumptions, and contribute perspectives grounded in their own realities and experiences.
In a key session on data and measurement, titled “Mapping and Measuring Energy Poverty Locally: From Data, Models, and Composite Indicators to Stakeholder-driven Solutions”, participants explored the role of data and indicators in informing action. Presentations demonstrated how different approaches, from composite indicators to local level modelling, can support more targeted policies. However, significant challenges remain, particularly related to data availability, access, and granularity at the local level. The value of combining data sources and involving stakeholders to improve accuracy and relevance, as well as the role of digital tools, were also discussed, with a clear message that they must be inclusive and supported by human interaction to avoid reinforcing existing inequalities.
The workshop “How Integrated Energy Renovations Can Reach Vulnerable Households: Practical Approaches to Financing, Engagement, and Demand Reduction” explored how integrated renovations can more effectively reach vulnerable households. Drawing on EU policy frameworks and project insights, discussions highlighted the need to align renovation strategies with the realities of energy poverty, particularly prioritising comfort, affordability, and demand reduction. A key insight was that lack of agency, rather than lack of interest, often prevents households from engaging. Through breakout groups and role-playing exercises, participants examined stakeholder perspectives and implementation challenges. Barriers such as lack of trust in authorities, limited time, digital exclusion (e.g., no internet access), and constraints faced by renters were identified, particularly for groups like the elderly, youth, and single parents. Participants explored technical solutions and energy efficiency measures alongside social approaches. Solutions focused on diversified and participatory engagement strategies, including targeted communication, polling, collaboration with local actors, and door-to-door outreach. Measures to protect renters, such as safeguards against rent increases, were also emphasised, reinforcing that technical interventions must be combined with strong social support mechanisms.
Energy communities were also presented as a promising pathway in the workshop “Leave No One Behind: What Role Can Energy Communities Play in Tackling Energy Poverty?”. The session demonstrated how community driven models can deliver affordable energy while fostering social inclusion. Participants examined how to identify and engage vulnerable households, exploring the social and structural barriers that often limit participation. Discussions highlighted the need to design more inclusive pathways, grounded in trust, local partnerships, and collaboration with municipalities and social services. Beyond energy production, the session showcased practical solutions such as renovation support, advice services, and demand response initiatives. It also emphasised that energy communities can serve as entry points for broader support systems, offering local governments concrete approaches to develop more inclusive, community-based strategies to tackle energy poverty.
Another important discussion focused on women and youth through the workshop “Tackling Energy Vulnerability Among Women and Youth: Co-creating Solutions for Overlooked Groups”. The session addressed often overlooked dimensions of energy poverty, with a strong focus on data gaps, particularly for young people. As noted during the session, in many cases, “we don’t know” the scale of youth energy poverty, while early findings suggest that up to 50% of students may be affected. The session also explored the increased vulnerability of women experiencing energy poverty, especially in women-led households, where income gaps and housing conditions increase risk, often in less visible forms. Through group activities, presentations, surveys, and interactive exercises, workshop participants examined these challenges and emphasised the need for co-created, user-centred solutions that better reflect lived experiences.
In the successive session “Digitalisation of Energy Poverty Services: Limits and Opportunities”, participants explored how digital tools and AI can support energy poverty action, from improving energy literacy and bill comprehension to enabling better access to support schemes and more targeted data collection through vulnerability mapping. Speakers emphasised that digital solutions can drive behavioural change and deliver tangible benefits, including reduced energy consumption, improved engagement, and stronger trust. However, their effectiveness depends on being embedded within local social ecosystems and supported by trusted actors, human facilitation, and community engagement. Low digital literacy, limited access to devices or internet, and data protection concerns were identified as critical challenges to ensure these tools are used ethically and that digitalisation remains inclusive.
Rounding out the workshops, the session “From Policy to Practice: Co-creating Solutions for Energy-poor Households” brought together experts from One Stop Shops, energy agencies, and local authorities to discuss cooperation in supporting energy-poor households, including through their participation in energy communities. Group discussion and action-oriented exercises allowed participants to reflect on successful practices and develop concrete ideas that can be applied to their local context. The session emphasised the importance of collaboration across actors and highlighted the value of hands-on approaches in designing inclusive and effective support mechanisms.
Across all sessions, several key themes consistently emerged. The importance of reliable and disaggregated data and clear indicators was evident, alongside the need for stronger coordination across governance levels. Inclusiveness remained central, with particular attention to vulnerable and underrepresented groups. Participants also stressed the value of local action, supported by national and EU frameworks, as well as the importance of trust, engagement, and long-term structural solutions.
The conference concluded with a shared understanding that addressing energy poverty requires sustained collaboration, practical tools, and a continued commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in the energy transition.
Access Event Resources
Please visit the conference website if you would like to learn more, download the programme, view photos, and access individual speaker presentations (forthcoming on 14 April 2026). Video replays are also available online here.
Details
- Publication date
- 8 April 2026