Energy poverty is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon caused by various factors. It is defined as a situation in which households are unable to access essential energy services and products. Despite widespread recognition and discussion of the topic, there are still several gaps in knowledge and practice.
One aspect of energy poverty that remains largely unexplored in Europe is rural energy poverty, receiving limited attention despite being more prevalent than in urban contexts. Additionally, in the pursuit of a clean and just transition, rural areas in Europe are often left behind, even though rural populations are at a significantly higher risk of facing poverty and social exclusion. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Southern Eastern Europe (SEE), and Southern Europe (SE) countries, where populations are more susceptible to energy poverty.
In this framework, the LIFE project RENOVERTY published a report following a multi-step approach with the objective of addressing this gap and upgrading the framework on rural and peri-urban energy poverty.
We now have 3 factsheets summarising the main results from this report:
