Summary:
Energy or fuel poverty is nowadays one of the major challenges that global
community has to cope with. The term Energy poverty define the inability of
affordable access to basic energy services such as adequate heating, lighting,
electricity, gas, cooling, and use of appliances in the home at an affordable cost
This crucial phenomenon has affected Greece as well with a significant number of
households in a poor level of warmth causing adverse impacts on public health
and mental well-being, mainly due to insufficient insulation, low income and high
energy costs.
However the evaluation of energy poverty presents important methodological
difficulties, requires the collection of a significant amount of data, while according
to the literature, the implementation of different measurement methods leads to
significant differentiated results, both in terms of energy poverty levels and in
relation to which households are characterized as energy poor.
The current aim of this study is to measure energy poverty and benchmark the
implemented assessment methods, both subjective and objective. For this
reason, a primary field survey was conducted in the region of Attica from
September 2017 to November 2017, via an appropriately designed questionnaire
in a representative sample of households.
Energy poverty has been measured in the selected population sample, using both
subjective and objective methods highlighting the advantages and disadvantages
of each approach, but also their degree of differentiation.
In addition, composite indicators of energy poverty are being developed which
capture to a greater extent the phenomenon. Based on field research findings,
important parameters are being identified, the monitoring of which can lead to the
implementation of more effective policies for combating energy poverty.
Keywords:
Energy Poverty, Objective measures, Subjective measures, Economic recession, Mixed indicators, vulnerability classification, Housing-related energy poverty, Qualitative analysis of vulnerability
