Chapter 30 - Energy Poverty Across the EU: Analysis of Policies and Measures

Abstract

Since the emergence of the European Energy Union, considerable attention has been given towards the role of consumers in the energy sector. Member States are increasingly confronted with issues of energy poverty, a situation where individuals are not able to adequately heat their homes at affordable cost, as a result of rising energy prices, recessionary impacts on national and regional economies, and poor energy-efficient homes. How EU Member States define the issues of energy poverty and vulnerable consumers, and the measures that have been implemented to address these issues vary widely across Member States. The resulting fragmented EU-level response highlights a necessary role for the European Commission in coalescing efforts to meet the challenge of vulnerability in the energy markets and that of energy poverty. To do this, the Commission and Member States will need to address a deficit in understanding, more robustly define the issues, and look beyond internal energy markets at the broader issue.