The report "Energy Poverty National Indicators: Uncovering New Possibilities for Expanded Knowledge" of October 2023, published by Energy Poverty Advisory Platform (EPAH) managed by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy, is a key document for understanding and addressing energy poverty in the European Union. Energy poverty (EP) is increasingly recognised as a pressing social problem that requires measurement and monitoring of its various dimensions.

The importance and benefits of EPAH indicators

Diagnostics is a vital part of addressing energy poverty, with indicators play a key role in identifying and assessing the vulnerability of energy poor populationsThis report builds on previous EPAH efforts and brings latest updates and improvements to energy poverty indicators and dashboardThe aim is to further develop the knowledge and tools provided by EPAH to improve the measurement of energy poverty across the EU. This includes reorganization and updating of existing indicators, removal of redundant ones and inclusion of new (partial) topics and indicatorsThe update aims to deepen and broaden the measurement of EP by integrating additional EP-related dimensions to provide policymakers, researchers and practitioners with a more comprehensive toolkit.

Methodology and structure

The report is complemented by a revised online EPAH indicator dashboard that reflects ongoing improvements. These updates are in line with approaches that emphasize the benefits of holistic, multi-indicator approaches to assessing EPThe indicators are organised into four main themes and relevant sub-themes, which are in line with the Covenant of Mayors guidelines for energy poverty indicators at local level:

• Climate: Displays climatic conditions that can affect household energy needs and thermal comfort. New indicators in this category include, for example: daily cooling consumption (Cooling degree days) a daily heating consumption (Heating degree days), which quantify the energy demand for cooling and heating buildings. For example, Finland had the highest annual average value for daily heating consumption in 2022 (5,656).
• Facilities/Housing: Focuses on building characteristics, their quality and accessibility to housing. New indicators include "Final energy consumption in households by type of use/fuel" a "Population considering their homes too dark"For example, in 2020, the primary energy consumption by households was for home heating (62.8 % of total final energy consumption in the residential sector). In 2021, 6.7 % of the EU population considered their home too dark, corresponding to 29.9 million Europeans.
• Mobility: Captures transport-related vulnerability, linking transport poverty with household energy poverty. The new indicator is "A population that cannot afford to use public transport regularly"In 2014, 2.4% of the EU population could not afford to use public transport regularly, representing 12.2 million Europeans.
• Socio-economic aspects: It includes various socio-economic variables that represent causes, drivers or consequences of EP. New indicators include "Disposable annual household income", "Housing Cost Overburden Rate", "Population reporting chronic disease" a "Causes of Death"For example, in 2021, 8.3 % of the EU population were burdened by housing costs, corresponding to 37.1 million Europeans. In 2021, more than a third (35.2 %) of people in the EU reported a long-term (chronic) health problem.

Limitations and recommendations for use

It is important to note that individual indicators have limitations and should always be supplemented with other data for a comprehensive understanding of energy poverty. For example, low energy expenditure may be associated with efficient housing and not necessarily with self-restraint. Therefore, it is recommended use a multi-indicator approach, which includes all driving forces and effectively identifies vulnerable populations. For a more accurate picture, it is also beneficial to complement pan-European datasets with national data sources.

EPAH indicator dashboard, supported by this by report, provides a strong platform for energy poverty analysis, offering a wide range of indicators and disaggregations. It is crucial to continuously update and improve the EPAH dashboardto be in line with evolving knowledge and new trends in the field of energy poverty. In this way, we can gain valuable insights and stimulate meaningful action to alleviate energy poverty, promote sustainable access to energy and improve the well-being of vulnerable groups. Spring