EU support for people affected by energy poverty

Subject: EU support for people affected by energy poverty

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is one of the priorities of the European Green Deal. The current energy crisis and soaring prices have once again highlighted the importance of action in this regard. This is a problem primarily affecting social groups who were already struggling with energy poverty, estimated to be up to 10% of Polish households, with the number growing steadily. Given these circumstances, there is a need for the EU and the Member States to step up action in the area of energy efficiency of buildings, with a focus on housing. This will require appropriate financial instruments to ensure that the action also includes the EU’s poorest citizens.

In this connection:

1. In which programmes – apart from RePowerEU – does the Commission envisage projects to address the energy crisis and energy efficiency measures, especially in the context of groups most vulnerable to energy poverty?

2. Given the problems with the launch of the National Recovery Programme in Poland, under which EUR 3.8 billion was to be allocated to actions in the Clean Air group, including improving the energy efficiency of buildings, does the Commission see possibilities for funding these projects from other sources?

Submitted: 21.11.2022

Answer given by Ms Simson on behalf of the European Commission

(10 February 2023)

The Commission is acting on several fronts to mitigate the impact of the energy price spike on the energy poor and the low-income households.

Specific platforms addressing energy poverty through energy efficiency and building renovations include the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (1) and the Covenant of Mayors (2).

In the 2022 call for the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub, two Polish municipalities of Zamość and Bydgoszcz have already been selected. The Commission has also set up a Coordination Group (3) to share best practices and policy approaches to tackling energy poverty and support vulnerable consumers.

Moreover, the Fit for 55 legislative package will introduce an even stronger legislative framework to tackle energy poverty, which will include an EU level definition of energy poverty, dedicated funding through a newly established Social Climate Fund and prioritization of building renovation measures targeting these groups.

The Council approved the Polish recovery and resilience plan on 17 June 2022, following the Commission’s positive assessment (4). Poland has not yet submitted its first payment request under the Facility.

To finance building renovation investments and energy efficiency projects, Poland can also complement Recovery and Resilience Facility funding with support from Cohesion Funds, InvestEU, ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance), the Just Transition Fund, Horizon Europe, the Life Programme and the Modernisation Fund.

1 ∙ ⸱ https://energy-poverty.ec.europa.eu/index_en

2 ∙ ⸱ https://energy-poverty.ec.europa.eu/covenant-mayors_en

3 ∙ ⸱ Commission Energy Poverty and Vulnerable Consumers Coordination Group.

4 ∙ ⸱ Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility.