Abstract:

Objectives: The paper aims at emphasizing the differences between the old and the new member states with respect to the range of energy poverty. An additional goal is to classify the countries according to the energy poverty levels. Background: Energy poverty is a distinct form of poverty and consists of difficulties in meeting the basic energy needs of household members. Despite growing awareness of its importance, there are still no widely accepted methods for measuring the extent of energy poverty and comparing between countries because of the diverse climate, housing base and relationship between income and energy costs. However, a common framework for measuring energy poverty is needed, and knowledge of the dynamics of energy poverty in the long term can be crucial for a wise and effective policy to tackle this phenomenon. Expected Results: We plan to confirm that the EU Member States are not a homogenous group with respect to energy poverty and that differences between the countries are still large. However, there probably exist groups of countries that are similar in terms of energy poverty and we intend to identify them. Policy Implications: The results of our work can be used as a recommendation for tackling energy poverty at the EU and country levels. They can also be treated as a statistical evidence to support the use of certain measures within the social and housing policy areas.