Fuel poverty in Greece: Quantitative analysis and implications for policy

Abstract

This paper aims at implementing appropriate methodological approaches for a preliminary assessment of fuel poverty in Greece and analyzing in quantitative terms the potential impact of fuel poverty on public health. As regards the assessment of fuel poverty in Greece, both subjective and objective approaches have been implemented, utilizing primary data from existing surveys undertaken by National Statistical Authority, while the health impacts attributed to fuel poverty were quantified through statistical analysis. The implementation of objective approaches showed that around 20–25% of Greek households were in fuel poverty in 2013, while with subjective measures this percentage reaches to 29.5%, twice as in 2010. Furthermore, the regression models developed showed that the increased levels of fuel poverty observed after 2010 have had significant negative impacts on public health. Specifically, 1–2.7% of deaths recorded annually in Greece as well as the 2.7–7.4% of cardiovascular diseases and the 3.1–8.5% of respiratory infections treated by the Greek hospitals are attributed to fuel poverty. Taking into consideration that more than 60% of Greek households do not have adequate insulation, the development of ambitious energy saving programs for residential buildings could build synergies between climate change mitigation and fuel poverty alleviation.