The Observatory is a core component of the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub, bringing together research, data, and resources to support a better understanding of energy poverty across Europe. EPAH’s energy poverty indicators, publications, and analytical resources help practitioners, researchers, and policymakers assess energy poverty, identify trends, and compare findings across countries and regions. The EPAH Observatory provides access to the most recent official European data and research on energy poverty.
Indicators are used to measure different dimensions of energy poverty and support its assessment. This interactive dashboard allows users to explore energy poverty indicators across EU countries and compare results over time and between countries.
Launched in 2022 and regularly updated, the dashboard provides a visual overview of quantifiable aspects of energy poverty in Europe based on the latest EU-wide statistics. It combines national data and, where available, regional data (NUTS 1, 2, and 3) to support a more detailed analysis across Member States. The dashboard draws on harmonised datasets from Eurostat and other EU-wide sources (e.g., Copernicus), ensuring compatibility across countries. Indicators are grouped into four macro areas, forming the EPAH indicators framework:
- Climate (e.g., heating and cooling degree days, heat and cold stress)
- Facilities/Housing (e.g., population living in dwellings with leaks, dampness or rot; dwellings with an energy label A)
- Mobility (e.g., population who cannot afford regular use of public transport; share of household income spent on transport)
- Socio-economic aspects (e.g., inability to keep home adequately warm; disposable annual household income, excess winter/summer mortality).
The EPAH indicators framework is aligned with the Covenant of Mayors' Reporting Guidelines on Energy Poverty (2025). These guidelines define 56 local energy poverty indicators grouped into six macro areas: Climate, Facilities/Housing, Mobility, Socio-economic Aspects, Policy and Regulatory Framework, and Participation and Awareness-Raising. They were developed through consultations with European municipal officers, local authorities, and field experts. The guidelines also help cities use these indicators in practice, including for the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP) through the My
Covenant planning and reporting platform.
Visit the national indicators dashboard ➔
The EPAH publications database is open to all users and allows for the submission of relevant publications.
Visit the publications database ➔
EPAH has developed a range of publications analysing energy poverty indicators at the national and regional levels. These aim to support the design of more robust policy instruments and improve the targeting of vulnerable groups and regions:
- "Expanding Energy Poverty Measurement in the EU: Integrating New Climate, Health, and Mobility Indicators" [2026] advances the measurement of energy poverty in the EU by expanding indicators included in EPAH's dashboard. It introduces new indicators and develops a cross-analysis of eight indicators across 17 EU Member States using historical analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, and Principal Component Analysis.
- "Energy Poverty, Energy Efficiency and Housing Conditions in the European Union" [2026] assesses the current state of energy efficiency in residential building stock in connection with energy poverty incidence across Member States, and analyses ongoing policy efforts and progress in improving energy performance levels.
- "Assessment of EU Regions with Higher Vulnerability to Severe Energy Poverty" [2026] presents the results of this regional vulnerability assessment.
- "Methodology for the Identification of EU Regions with Higher Vulnerability to Severe Energy Poverty" [2026] presents a methodology for identifying regions most vulnerable to severe energy poverty, combining top-down and bottom-up approaches.
- "Energy Poverty National Indicators: Uncovering New Possibilities for Expanded Knowledge" [2024] highlights updates and enhancements to energy poverty national indicators and the dashboard, broadening the measurement of energy poverty by incorporating additional dimensions, such as health and mobility.
- "Energy Poverty National Indicators: Insights for a More Effective Measurement" [2022] provides an overview of several indicators, including sources, technical details, and additional insights.
- "Bringing Energy Poverty Research into Local Practice: Exploring Subnational Scale Analyses" [2022] conducts a scientific literature review of studies on energy poverty assessment and the identification and targeting of energy-poor populations at subnational spatial scales (regional and local).
EPAH also develops practical materials to inform and guide local authorities and other actors in producing accurate problem assessments and delivering targeted actions:
Country Fiches
- 27 Country Fiches [2026], one per EU Member State, offer a structured and comparable overview of definitions, key indicators, flagship policies and measures, illustrative practices, and the organisations driving change on the ground. They provide a practical reference point for cross-country learning, informed policy design, and evidence-based advocacy.
EPAH Handbooks
- The EPAH Handbooks series offers practical guidebooks for local governments and practitioners to address the social dimensions of the local energy transition. The series comprises an introductory report [2022] and three handbooks: “EPAH Handbook 1: A Guide to Energy Poverty Diagnosis” which focuses on the practical assessment of energy poverty at the local level" [2023]; “EPAH Handbook 2: A Guide to Planning Energy Poverty Mitigation Actions” which provides information on how to prepare and integrate an energy poverty mitigation plan within the Local Social Climate Plan [2024]; and “EPAH Handbook 3: A Guide to Implementing Energy Poverty Mitigation Actions” which provides information on the execution of an effective energy poverty project [2024].
Guidelines
- The "EPAH Guidelines: Addressing Vulnerability and Equity in Energy Poverty Action" [2026] provides practical guidance to help municipalities design more inclusive and effective measures that integrate aspects of health, housing conditions, income, age, disability, gender, migration background, and access to information and support.
- Reports highlighting innovative local projects, aiming to inspire future initiatives: "Inspirational Cases: From Local Innovation to Structural Action" [2026]; "Inspiring Stories from Municipalities: Six Cases from the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub Technical Assistance Scheme" [2024]; and "Tackling Energy Poverty through Local Actions: Inspiring Cases from Across Europe" [2021].
EPAH collaborates with other European Commission initiatives to strengthen, facilitating the exchange of data, information, expertise, and good practices towards common goals. Key partner initiatives include the Covenant of Mayors (CoMo), the Citizen Energy Advisory Hub (CEAH) (designed to promote a bottom-up approach to the energy transition across the EU, enhance citizen participation, and strengthen the social dimension of the Energy Union), and the Transport Poverty Hub, launched in May 2025 alongside Commission Recommendation (EU) 2025/1021 of 22 May 2025 on transport poverty. The Transport Poverty Hub is an evidence-based, publicly available online platform that maps transport-poverty-relevant indicators across Europe at a 1 km² populated grid resolution and aggregated to country, NUTS 1-3, and local administrative unit (LAU) levels, covering walking, cycling, driving, and public transport modes. It is managed by the European Commission’s Joint research Centre (JRC)