Varieties of energy poverty in Europe: the challenge of recognition

15/06/2023, h. 17:30
Politecnico di Milano, Campus Leonardo, Edificio 12, SALA Riunioni

Seminar organized within the PhD programme in Urban Planning, Design and Policy

In the context of the European Union, years of scientific and political work have achieved wide recognition of energy poverty as a problem of its own, although closely related to monetary poverty and other forms of material deprivation. The development of methodologies for measuring energy poverty through indicators have contributed fundamentally to this process. These quantitative approaches allow to investigate temporal dynamics, make comparisons between scales and territories, identify especially vulnerable sociodemographic groups, and evaluate the effects of policies and measures. However, a certain preponderance of this metrological logic is observed, to such an extent that aspects and experiences of energy poverty on which there are no data or which cannot be quantified end up being ignored in debates and policies. Especially worrisome in this regard is the lack of awareness of problems with access to basic supplies by households that report non-payment of bills, debt with suppliers, supply cuts or irregular connections, situations often related to problems of access to housing. Drawing on case studies on collective disconnections in Cañada Real (Madrid) and prepaid electricity meters in Hungary, the implications of these biases in the design of support policies for the vulnerable population and in the reformulation of definitions and monitoring systems of energy poverty will also be discussed.

Introduce: Stefania Sabatinelli – DAStU Politecnico di Milano
Presenter: Sergio Tirado Herrero –  Università Autonoma di Madrid UAM,
Discussant: Eugenio Morello – DAStU Politecnico di Milano

Responsabile: Stefania Sabatinelli