Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ENPOR (Actions to Mitigate Energy Poverty in the Private Rented Sector)
Reporting period: 2020-09-01 to 2022-02-28
Energy poverty levels remain high in EU Member States due to increasing energy costs and slow progress on energy efficiency improvements. Despite various policies in place that directly or indirectly mitigate energy poverty at the household level, energy poverty is increasing in the private rented sector (PRS). The PRS presents quite specific issues that cannot be adequately dealt with in the framework of energy poverty, linked directly to energy efficiency, such as a) difficulty to identify and quantify energy-poor households in the PRS; and b) the complex delivery of energy efficiency measures to these households due to structural problems like information deficits, split incentives and others. ENPOR therefore aims to overcome both challenges by making energy poverty in the PRS visible and as quantifiable as possible, while testing energy efficiency support schemes to address it. This can increase the effectiveness of policies at a local or regional level, although an alignment with structural measures is needed. Dedicated actions will actively contribute to alleviating energy poverty in the PRS by identifying energy-poor tenants (and respective homeowners) as well as understanding and addressing their needs. To this end, ENPOR will support the adaption and implementation of ten policies in 7 Member States tailored to the specific requirements of the PRS and will integrate them into broader policy objectives. ENPOR will examine in depth energy poverty policies for the PRS across the EU, monitor the dimensions of energy poverty in the PRS, support tailored policies and will provide guidelines for other countries to replicate the results. Through ENPOR partners, links with the Covenant of Mayors, the EU Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) and the market (Union of Tenants and Associations of homeowners) will give rise to a high- EU-level dialogue for energy poverty in the private rented sector.
Since September 2020, until the end of February 2022, the ENPOR Consortium managed to achieve the following:
a) Deepen understanding on energy poverty policies for the privately rented sector via a thorough academic literature review across two core themes, namely the private rented sector in Europe as well as energy poverty and efficiency in the PRS. This assessed 35 international policies relevant to tackling energy poverty in the PRS and determined their aims, content, and structure, while highlighting key patterns in the 1)spatial-temporal distribution of the initiatives, ii)inclusion and participation in decision-making processes, and iii)target groups, therefore serving as a basis for ENPOR policies. The findings of this activity were also disseminated to national and international audiences over the project's term.
b) Monitor the dimensions of energy poverty in the private rented sector through the launch of the Energy Poverty Dashboard (https://www.energypoverty.info/). It aims to respond to the lack of EU-wide data on the PRS, and addresses the need for spatial and temporal disaggregation of information by mapping relevant initiatives and interventions, therefore further increasing knowledge sharing. The Dashboard’s data features indicator data, such as the number of people unable to keep their home warm, arrears on utility bills, presence of rot or dampness and so on, which are all organised by country and region over 15 years, and can be viewed for the population as a whole, or for tenants only. The dashboard can also be used as a tool to map of policies and measures that in one way or another address energy poverty or improvements in energy efficiency in the sector. Anyone can submit existing policies to the dashboard, and these are then reviewed and updated by the dashboard team. The dashboard will be used to internally monitor the presence and progression of energy poverty policies in relation to tenants, but can also be used by external policy makers, tenants, and any other stakeholders to draw inspiration for new local or national policies, or to benefit from existing policies.
c) Support the set-up and implementation of energy efficiency policies to alleviate energy poverty in the private rented sector by working with REACT groups to co-design the ten ENPOR policies.
a) Deepen understanding on energy poverty policies for the privately rented sector via a thorough academic literature review across two core themes, namely the private rented sector in Europe as well as energy poverty and efficiency in the PRS. This assessed 35 international policies relevant to tackling energy poverty in the PRS and determined their aims, content, and structure, while highlighting key patterns in the 1)spatial-temporal distribution of the initiatives, ii)inclusion and participation in decision-making processes, and iii)target groups, therefore serving as a basis for ENPOR policies. The findings of this activity were also disseminated to national and international audiences over the project's term.
b) Monitor the dimensions of energy poverty in the private rented sector through the launch of the Energy Poverty Dashboard (https://www.energypoverty.info/). It aims to respond to the lack of EU-wide data on the PRS, and addresses the need for spatial and temporal disaggregation of information by mapping relevant initiatives and interventions, therefore further increasing knowledge sharing. The Dashboard’s data features indicator data, such as the number of people unable to keep their home warm, arrears on utility bills, presence of rot or dampness and so on, which are all organised by country and region over 15 years, and can be viewed for the population as a whole, or for tenants only. The dashboard can also be used as a tool to map of policies and measures that in one way or another address energy poverty or improvements in energy efficiency in the sector. Anyone can submit existing policies to the dashboard, and these are then reviewed and updated by the dashboard team. The dashboard will be used to internally monitor the presence and progression of energy poverty policies in relation to tenants, but can also be used by external policy makers, tenants, and any other stakeholders to draw inspiration for new local or national policies, or to benefit from existing policies.
c) Support the set-up and implementation of energy efficiency policies to alleviate energy poverty in the private rented sector by working with REACT groups to co-design the ten ENPOR policies.
ENPOR will analyse the state of the art on the rented sector across Europe and energy poverty drivers and help develop integrative instruments for know-how on existing and ENPOR-generated policies.
ENPOR has upgraded the framework on energy poverty in the private rented sector by producing an up to date review of current knowledge and practice in energy poverty research and policy related to the PRS. It will move beyond the state of the art in at least three ways, namely by:
1) Using novel conceptual insights beyond established approaches such as the deficit model and split incentives to emphasize the structural (legal, economic, political and spatial) factors which prevent energy efficiency investment in the private rented sector, taking into account also landlords’ perspective, awareness and capacity to take action against energy poverty;
2) Focusing on drivers of energy poverty particularly with reference to the specific needs of households, beyond mainstream thinking on incomes, prices and energy efficiency, as well as non-economic factors (such as lack of participation and information) that may prevent moving towards affordable and modern energy services; and
3) Reviewing more than 30 successful (and unsuccessful) intervention strategies (in the EU and beyond) to advance measures on energy poverty of vulnerable households who inhabit private rented properties.
These will further inform the development of the ENPOR policies so as to increase their chances of success and will be used to continuously develop the Energy Poverty Dashboard based on the needs of the market and to serve as an education platform for those involved in the sector.
ENPOR has upgraded the framework on energy poverty in the private rented sector by producing an up to date review of current knowledge and practice in energy poverty research and policy related to the PRS. It will move beyond the state of the art in at least three ways, namely by:
1) Using novel conceptual insights beyond established approaches such as the deficit model and split incentives to emphasize the structural (legal, economic, political and spatial) factors which prevent energy efficiency investment in the private rented sector, taking into account also landlords’ perspective, awareness and capacity to take action against energy poverty;
2) Focusing on drivers of energy poverty particularly with reference to the specific needs of households, beyond mainstream thinking on incomes, prices and energy efficiency, as well as non-economic factors (such as lack of participation and information) that may prevent moving towards affordable and modern energy services; and
3) Reviewing more than 30 successful (and unsuccessful) intervention strategies (in the EU and beyond) to advance measures on energy poverty of vulnerable households who inhabit private rented properties.
These will further inform the development of the ENPOR policies so as to increase their chances of success and will be used to continuously develop the Energy Poverty Dashboard based on the needs of the market and to serve as an education platform for those involved in the sector.