With rising global energy prices and the equity challenges of the ecological transition, energy poverty is once again at the centre of economic policy debates in Europe. However, the lack of consensus on the measurement of energy poverty complicates policy formulation and evaluation in this area.
The Joint Research Centre report conducts a comprehensive analysis of the distribution and profiles of the ‘energy poor’ in the EU using two types of indicators: ‘expenditure-based’ indicators, which use information on energy expenditure against absolute or relative thresholds, and ‘consensus approach’ indicators, which use self-reported assessments of housing conditions and the ability to meet basic needs. The results show that between 8% (using consensus-based indicators) and 16% (using expenditure-based indicators) of the EU population can be classified as energy poor.
