Policy Recommendations for Tackling Energy Poverty in Vulnerable Households through Deep Renovation
Objective
To ensure high-quality energy renovation for vulnerable households through strong and reliable local support mechanisms. The recommendations aim to:
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Strengthen regional One Stop Shops (OSS) with targeted policies.
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Ensure predictable and accessible financing, especially for small municipalities with limited administrative and technical capacity.
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Improve access to renovation for households facing or at risk of energy poverty.
Main Barriers Identified
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Absence of a national information system for identifying energy-poor households.
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Lack of high-quality, standardized data.
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Insufficient human and technical resources in small municipalities.
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Lack of targeted policies supporting the development and operation of One Stop Shops.
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Missing financial instruments dedicated to the renovation of single-family houses.
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Widespread use of outdated, inefficient, and polluting heating systems in households.
Priority Activities
1. Data & Information Systems
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Develop a national information system for identifying energy-poor households.
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Enable secure data exchange between municipalities, social institutions, energy suppliers and OSS for Renovation.
2. One Stop Shops (OSS) for Renovation
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Expand and professionalize OSS across regions.
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Stimulate private sector participation in OSS development.
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Provide operational budgets and financial support for OSS staffing.
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Support municipalities in:
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Setting renovation targets
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Community engagement
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Tailored renovation roadmaps
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3. Financial Instruments
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Design personalized financing schemes with simplified access for households in small municipalities.
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Introduce micro-grants for quick-impact measures (windows, insulation, heating upgrades).
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Provide interest-free loans with guarantees for deep renovation, targeting low- and middle-income homeowners.
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Develop mechanisms suited for single-family houses, where energy poverty is often concentrated.
Policy Recommendations at EU Level
Data, Monitoring & Governance
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Introduce interoperable national observatories using administrative/statistical data, respecting privacy and open-data principles.
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Require annual harmonisation of Household Budget Survey and EU-SILC data.
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Fund pilot statistical models for the pre-qualification of vulnerable households and buildings.
Financing & Budgetary Measures
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Integrate energy poverty into social and climate budgeting.
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Ensure 100% support for the most vulnerable households, including coverage of pre-application costs.
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Blend EU funds with national and private sources.
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Promote multi-annual budgets, municipal pooling, and condominium guarantee schemes.
Capacity Building & One Stop Shops
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Co-finance national/regional OSS networks and training centres.
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Standardise training for energy intermediaries.
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Support energy ambassadors and peer-to-peer outreach through European networks.
Quality, Procurement & Monitoring
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Establish EU-level protocols for procurement, quality control, contractor certification and post-renovation monitoring.
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Introduce public scoreboards and cost stabilisation mechanisms for renovation works.
Social Inclusion & Health
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Prioritize inclusion and participation through campaigns, checklists, and partnerships with social services.
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Integrate health-related indicators (e.g., mold, dampness, respiratory symptoms) into renovation impact assessments.
Green Synergy Cluster: Empowering local communities through innovation, sustainable renovation and inclusive climate solutions.
The project consortium: The project started in November 2022, implemented by a consortium consisting of 12 partners – National Technical University of Athens – Laboratory of Mining and Environmental Technologies (Greece), which is also the coordinator of the project, Institute of Systems and Robotics (Portugal ), Ekodoma Ltd. (Latvia), Green Synergy Cluster (Bulgaria), Fundació Europace (Spain), Foundation Center for Renewable Energy Sources and Savings (Greece), B-Link (Spain), Municipality of Brezovo (Bulgaria), EKPIZO – Consumer Association “Quality of Life ” (Greece), Municipality of Coimbra (Portugal), “Riga Energy Agency” (Latvia) and WIT Berry (Latvia).
