Alleviating Energy Poverty in Romania and beyond

In the framework of the European Just Transition, energy poverty has become an increasingly important topic across the EU. Rising energy prices coupled with inefficient residential building stocks lead to the fact that around 34 million European households are classified as energy poor. This phenomenon is particularly widespread in Eastern Europe due to historical, social and economic conditions explored in this paper. In order for the energy transition to be “just”, the needs of vulnerable consumers across the EU must be considered by member states when reforming social and energy policies.

The policy paper of the EnPower Project provides an overview of the state of energy poverty in Romania and Eastern Europe more broadly. It offers an overview of the policies addressing energy poverty at the Romanian as well as the EU level and identifies drivers and innovative policy solutions. Lastly, the Policy Paper provides policy recommendations at the national and local level for alleviating energy poverty. The paper is based off desk research and a series of interviews with experts as well as policymakers conducted over the course of the project.