EU policy initiatives against energy poverty Round table ÂŤEnergy poverty in Ukraine and the EU: How to harmonize approaches and policiesÂť Kyiv, February 7th 2019 Ruta Baltause Support Group for Ukraine European Commission
The Energy Union Framework Strategy: • sets out the vision of an Energy Union • "with citizens at its core, where citizens take ownership of the energy transition, benefit from new technologies to reduce their bills, participate actively in the market, and where vulnerable consumers are protected".
Energy poverty in the EU legislation since 2009 • Energy poverty recognised as an energy policy issue • MS required to identify and protect vulnerable consumers
• Energy poverty to be addressed (if identified as a problem)
Energy poverty Member State practices – Disconnection safeguards and legislated procedures
Targeted consumers
Measures
Disconnection prohibition
Complementary measures
Year-round measures
All
Vulner-able/ low income/ sociodemo-graphic
With (or at risk of) medical condi-tions
Public services (lighting, hospitals, transport)
Seasonal measures (Winter or certain days of the week)
Un-em-ployed
Under bill dispute settlement
All
Vulner-able / low income/ sociodemo-graphic
With (or at risk of) medical condi-tions
AT
EG
BE
Debt man-agement
Pre-paid meters
Cus-tomer engagement
All
LV LV
LV L
LV LV
L L LV
LV
LV L
BG
E
CY
E
CZ DE
E
DK EE ES
EG EG EG
FI FR GR
EG E EG
EG
EG
EG EG
EG
EG
EG EG EG
EG
EG EG
EG EG
LV
LV
L V
L
HR
EG
HU
EG E
IE
E
IT
E
EG
LT
L L L
L L
L LV
L
LV
L
L L L LV L
EG
LV
E
LU
L L
MT
EG
NL
PL
EG
EG
EG
PT
EG
L
EG EG
L
E
L
E
RO
E
SE SK
E
SI UK Total Total MS
1
9
8
2 18
3
6
4
E EG 4
7 13
3
L L
L
V
18
8
15
22
Consumer protection actions in the Clean Energy Package: • • • • •
• Empowerment: active consumers, demand response, Local Energy Communities • Better information: on billing, switching suppliers, price comparison tools • Protection: energy poverty and data protection
Clean Energy Package for All Europeans • Describes energy poverty as • the inability to afford basic energy services such as adequate • warmth, cooling, lighting and the energy to power appliances, due to a combination of low income, high energy expenditure and poor energy efficiency of their homes. • Requires Member States • - to define the concept of vulnerable customers which may refer to energy poverty and to the prohibition of disconnection of electricity to such customers in critical times; • - to give information on alternatives to disconnection - can include support to avoid disconnection (advance payment systems, energy audits, debt management, disconnection moratoria) • - to define a set of criteria for the purpose of measuring energy poverty, to monitor the number of households in energy poverty and report energy poverty levels to the Commission; • - to focus a share of energy efficiency measures to energy poverty.
Energy Poverty Observatory • Improve transparency by bringing together the disparate sources of data and knowledge that exist across the EU • Develop a user-friendly and open-access information resource • Enable networking and facilitate knowledge sharing and co-production among Member States and relevant stakeholders • Disseminate information and organise outreach work • Provide technical assistance to the widest possible range of interested parties, based on a holistic approach. https://www.energypoverty.eu/
Energy Poverty Indicators Absence of a single metric indicator for energy poverty Proxy indicators are used to assess the situation and draw conclusions on energy poverty (identified by academia, MS institutions)
Energy poverty in the EU – energy as a share of the household expenditure
Source: DG Energy
UNDP local advisory programme