Short recaps of the initial WISE National Collective meetings offer an overview of contexts, current situations and aspects to consider while implementing actions. Two reports prepared by WISE will be made available for downloading once approved by the European Commission.
At present, despite numerous efforts on the part of government and CSOs, funding to tackle energy poverty in Bulgaria often fails to reach the most vulnerable groups – including households led by women. Several other EU-supported projects, such as POWERPOOR, have sought to indirectly address these issues by training local energy consultants (who carry out energy audits) and providing other resources (e.g. information about financial assistance). To date, relatively little effort focuses on addressing the structural causes of energy poverty, which requires long-term policies (rather than treating only the symptoms).
The WISE Collective Bulgaria notes the need for:
In recent years, the Republic of Croatia has made steady progress in including the need to tackle energy poverty into national and local action plans, as is evidenced in the development of the National Social Plan for Climate Policy by the Ministry of Environment and Green Transition. Relevant activities for which support is requested through The Social Climate Fund include to support vulnerable households, transport users, and micro-enterprises, which are most affected by increased energy costs linked to the green transition. Additionally, the City of Zagreb has developed a Programme for Combating Energy Poverty for the period up to 2030, with implementation scheduled to begin in 2025.
Two effective policy measures warrant attention.
The City of Zagreb has implemented a policy allowing social welfare recipients, including single women, to choose between monthly or direct payments to landlords. This flexibility helps alleviate immediate financial burdens and provides stability in housing arrangements.
In the City of Križevci, single households with an income below €850 are eligible for specific energy poverty measures. This approach demonstrates how targeted eligibility criteria can ensure financial and energy-related assistance reaches those most in need.
Among EU countries, France is noted for having established comprehensive approaches to tackle energy poverty. A wide range of subsidies provide financial assistance, including automatic distribution of an ‘energy cheque’ to all households below a certain income level, which can be used to pay down energy bills. Additionally, disconnections are banned over the winter period (1 November to 31 March) and energy suppliers must attempt to establish a repayment plan with people in arrears before disconnecting during the summer. Extensive subsidies are available for home renovations, and the government clearly states the need to prioritise the most vulnerable households.
Geographic areas of extreme levels of energy poverty persist, however. This reflects systemic exclusion of some groups as well as the ways in which generally positive policies are not reaching the most vulnerable.
For this reason, the WISE National Collective France has chosen to focus its efforts on the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers, the fourth poorest city in the country. The city’s population of 96 000 reflects ~120 nationalities. With 41% of people living at or below the poverty level and 60% of residential dwellings being sub-standard, rates of energy poverty are extremely high. A particular challenge is that 75% of households are renters, and thus have little access to available subsidies or lack agency to change their situations.
According to recent statistics, 19.2% of the Greek population reported being unable to keep their homes warm in winter and 12.4% face energy vulnerability. Not yet reflected in such data are the large numbers of people who cannot adequately cool their homes in hotter and longer summers. Most buildings lack proper insulation, leading to high energy bills. In parallel, low pensions — particularly of women — mean the burden of energy bills is excessive.
Being among the most southern points of Europe, Greece has seen a surge in migrants over the past two decades. More recently, a large number of refugees from Ukraine have arrived. Often, such groups have a poor command of the Greek language, low energy literacy and insufficient income to purchase energy efficient appliances. Many also live in poorly maintained buildings. As a result, rates of energy poverty among migrants are much higher than for the general population.
In 2014, the government of Greece launched the ‘I am Saving Energy at Home’ programme, providing subsidies for renovations of 600 000 homes between 2021 and 2023. Recently, the imperative to prioritise the most vulnerable households was added.
In May 2024, the Municipality of Athens established Energy Poverty Mitigation Office, which is open for in-person meetings. Trained advisors also carry out home visits to inform citizens and carry out soft measures (e.g. installing LED light bulbs) or provide advice on more complex solutions (energy efficiency renovations). By cooperating with companies providing renovation services, the municipality has also negotiated lower costs for energy efficiency measures.
Hungary recognises the interlinkages between housing and energy poverty. More broadly, the recent housing crisis has pushed up rents and property prices, negatively affecting both Hungarians and migrants. As such, an urgent need exists improve housing — including social housing — through deep renovation.
A recent study shows that elderly women who live alone, particularly in Budapest, are disproportionately affected by energy poverty. Gender experts in the Hungarian WISE Collective shed light on how gender (i.e. family) policies may adversely impact women. Too often, family policies create ‘traps’ that make it difficult for women, especially mothers, to escape situations of dependency upon their male partners.
A particularly notable policy failure is that recent changes in the government’s utility cost reduction programme led to increased energy costs, impacting institutions funded by local governments – including those that provide shelter and support for mothers and domestic violence victims. Financial strain from higher energy expenses has limited the capacity of such institutions to help vulnerable groups.
Of particular concern in Hungary is that the current government’s ‘anti-gender policy’ assigns women-specific issues to ‘family policies.’ As such, the gendered elements of energy poverty are not well reflected in more relevant policy portfolios.
Two entities in Italy track statistics on energy poverty. Among women-led households 11.2% indicated struggling to keep their homes warm, two percentage points higher than for male-led households or for the general population (9%). Notably, the general rate increased by 1.3% from 2022to 2023, reflecting high costs linked to the energy crisis. Also evident is a significant increase in ‘hidden’ energy-poor households — i.e. those with total expenditure below the median who report having spent nothing on heating.
Italy has several policies in place to tackle energy poverty, including: Subsidies and financial support for low-income households; energy efficiency incentives; the ‘Ecobonus’ (a tax credit for energy-saving
renovations); and the Bonus Sociale (Social Bonus). The latter aims to alleviate the economic burden of energy costs for vulnerable populations, including single women in precarious socio-economic situations. Additionally, the Superbonus 110% provides tax credits for energy efficiency renovations, but primarily targets home owners.
While some of these policies are relevant to women-led households, to date, actions are lacking to target this group. National Collective members agreed that such women are often difficult reach and support as they tend to self-isolate and lack trust that anyone will help. This speaks to the need of WISE Partners to develop soft skills and work with trusted community leaders. Finally, the Collective agreed to role out WISE activities in Rome, working with local associations and community organisations.
In 2023, an estimated 400 000 households in the Netherlands faced energy poverty — an increase of 70 000 over 2022. However, the proportion of households affected dropped, reflecting government support measures and efforts by households to reduce energy consumption.
The Dutch WISE Collective noted several underlying factors to consider in relation to energy poverty in general. At present, use of gas for cooking and heating is at 83%; rising electricity prices are hindering a shift to cleaner options. Notably, where district heating is in place, no option for switching exist. Rising energy bills, in part because of higher taxes being applied. The poor quality of housing in which low-income families typically live and their inability to invest in energy efficiency renovations or better heating systems or appliances.
More specific to women in energy poverty, the Collective identified additional contributing factors: a high share live in rental accommodations (and have little agency to improve it); income and pension inequality, as well as the prevalence of part-time, insecure work; caregiving responsibilities; and language barriers among migrant groups. The Collective also noted the challenge of ‘time poverty’ among women-led households that arises from social expectations in relation to caring for family members and managing community engagement (e.g. attending school meetings). A final point to be addressed is systemic traps, such as the fact that taking steps to earn additional income may result in a reduction (or even withdrawal) of social benefits or financial aid.
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