Affordability http://www.eppedia.eu/ en 2021 Energy Price Crisis impacts on Energy Poverty in Türkiye http://www.eppedia.eu/article/2021-energy-price-crisis-impacts-energy-poverty-turkiye-0 <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>2021 Energy Price Crisis impacts on Energy Poverty in Türkiye</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Author</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/gunay-simge" hreflang="en">Günay Simge</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/kayacan-bekir" hreflang="en">Kayacan Bekir</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>ute.dubois</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span>Wed, 08/31/2022 - 08:33</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-affiliation--article.html.twig * field--node--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-affiliation field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Affiliation</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/139" hreflang="en">Institute of Social Sciences, Istanbul University (Türkiye)</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/158" hreflang="en">Department of Economics, Istanbul University (Türkiye)</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-first-published-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-first-published-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">First published date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2022-08-31T12:00:00Z">2022.08.31</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-theme--article.html.twig * field--node--field-theme.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-theme.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-theme field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Theme</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/147" hreflang="en">2021 energy price crisis</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/68" hreflang="en">Affordability</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3" hreflang="en">Policy</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1" hreflang="en">Electricity</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/63" hreflang="en">Gas</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-download--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-download.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-download.html.twig * field--file.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-download field--type-file field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Article download</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'file_link' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf icon-before"><span class="file-icon"><span class="icon glyphicon glyphicon-file text-primary" aria-hidden="true"></span></span><span class="file-link"><a href="http://www.eppedia.eu/sites/default/files/2022-08/G%C3%BCnay-Kayacan_2021_Energy%20price%20crisis%20in%20T%C3%BCrkiye_EP-pedia.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=290091" title="Open file in new window" target="_blank">Günay-Kayacan_2021_Energy price crisis in Türkiye</a></span><span class="file-size">283.29 KB</span></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-page-elements--article.html.twig * field--node--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--entity-reference-revisions.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-page-elements field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><h2><strong>How has the crisis affected energy costs for households? </strong></h2> <p>The EU saw sharp increases in electricity and gas prices in 2021 mostly due to the increased demand for energy and reduced gas supply (Liboreiro and de Filippis, 2021). As Altunkaya (2021) reported, consumers paid about 41 kuruş/kwh in 2017 as compared to almost 34 kuruş/kwh in 2012, corresponding to an almost 21% increase in electricity prices for households in this period[1]. It is worth noting that since 2018, there has been a remarkable increase in energy prices in the country. According to the official TURKSTAT statistics, electricity bills of residential consumers have increased by 122% since 2018 (Altunkaya, 2021).</p> <p>In the third quarter of 2021 a 15% hike was observed in electricity prices for all consumer groups in Türkiye. This means that households used electricity from about 91.56 kuruş per kwh and businesses from about 1 lira 22 kuruş per kwh in October. (Hurriyet, 2021). In fact, the Republic of Türkiye Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA)[2] already had imposed a 6% increase on the National Electricity Tariff for the first quarter of 2021. Thus, the total increase in electricity prices in 2021 amounted to 21% (encazip.com, 2021).</p> <p>The increase in household electricity prices by consumption bands since 2019 can be seen in Figure 1 (TURKSTAT, 2020; TURKSTAT, 2021a):</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"> </p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-full-width-image--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-full-width-image paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-image--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_full_width/public/2022-08/Figure%201.png?itok=ZuLSlMYs" width="1200" height="1104" alt="Figure 1" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-caption field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Figure 1. Household Average Electricity Prices by Consumption Bands in Türkiye </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-source--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-source.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-source.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-source field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Source: TURKSTAT, 2020; TURKSTAT, 2021a</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>Note: </strong>1st period (for electricity price regulation) refers to January 1-June 30, 2019. 2nd period (for electricity price regulation) refers to July 1-December 31, 2019<strong>.</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>This figure clearly shows that household electricity prices continued to increase between 2019 and the first period of 2021. Average electricity prices for households amounted to 79.5 kuruş per kwh in the first period of 2021 (January-June 2021) and they were about 71 kuruş per kwh in the same period of 2020 (January-June 2020), which means that electricity prices for households increased by about 12% on average in the first period of 2021 compared to the same period last year (TURKSTAT, 2021a). The depreciation of the Turkish lira against the euro and the US dollars is considered as one of the significant factors in the increase in electricity and natural gas prices in recent years (Euronews, 2019).</p> <p>Meanwhile, the price of natural gas for residential subscribers (households) increased by 12%, while the tariff for industry and power plants for electricity generation increased by 20% in July 2021 (bloomberght.com, 2021a). The sales price applied by Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAŞ) to gas distribution companies for households was almost 149 kuruş for 1 cubic meter of natural gas in July, with an increase of 12% compared to the rate of June, while the price increase was 20% for industrial consumers, corresponding to about 178 kuruş for 1 cubic meter of natural gas. These amounts correspond to about 1488 liras for households for 1000 cubic meter of natural gas, 1783 liras for industrial consumers, and 2060 liras for power plants for electricity generation (bloomberght.com, 2021a). According to the tariff published by BOTAŞ, the natural gas price has increased for the seventh time in a row since January (haberturk.com, 2021a). The residential natural gas rate increased by 1% every month from January 1, 2021, until June 2021. Although there was a 15% increase in natural gas prices for industrial consumers and power plants starting from October 1, 2021, no similar increase has been observed for residential rates (egeajans.com). In its statement on November 1, 2021, BOTAŞ announced an about 48% increase in natural gas prices for the large industrial and commercial organizations for 1000 cubic meters of natural gas, and an almost 47% increase in natural gas prices for power plants used for electricity generation purposes for 1000 cubic meters of natural gas. Again, the rate applied for households was not changed (bloomberght.com, 2021b). Lastly, BOTAŞ announced that as of the 3rd of December the price of natural gas used in industry and power plants was increased by 20%. Like in November, the tariff applied for the household once again was kept unchanged (bbc.com, 2021). In this announcement, BOTAŞ stated that high energy prices experienced in world energy markets were not passed on to consumers at the same rate in Türkiye. They aimed to protect all consumer groups at the most from the devastating effects of the current energy crisis (QNB FinansInvest, 2021).</p> <p>The increase in household average natural gas prices by consumption bands since 2019 can be seen in Figure 2 (TURKSTAT, 2020; TURKSTAT, 2021a):</p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-full-width-image--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-full-width-image paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-image--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_full_width/public/2022-08/Figure%202.png?itok=LMbIX90N" width="1200" height="709" alt="Figure 2" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-caption field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Figure 2. Household Average Natural Gas Prices by Consumption Bands in Türkiye</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-source--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-source.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-source.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-source field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Source: TURKSTAT, 2020; TURKSTAT, 2021a</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>According to the Figure 2, average natural gas prices for households were 193 kuruş in the first period of 2021 (January-June 2021) and about 183 kuruş in the same period of the previous year (January-June 2020). This amounts to about 5.5% increase in household average natural gas prices on average in the first period of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>What do we know about the current impacts in terms of energy poverty?</strong></h2> <p>Although the natural gas prices have been kept constant for households both in October and in November 2021, Oğuz Türkyılmaz, the chairman of the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers Energy Working Group, said that he still expected a price increase for products and for electricity due to the increasing expenses of industrial enterprises and of power plants (Cakir, 2021). This expectation suggests that payment difficulties of households and even service cut offs could occur due to increasing electricity prices and arrears on households’ electricity bills. Considering that about 20% of households in Türkiye could not afford to heat their homes adequately in 2020, about 13% of them complain about the heavy burden of housing costs and almost 19% of them about the heavy burden of installments or loans in 2020 (TURKSTAT, 2021b), it is likely that the situation of low-income households will get worse in the winter 2021. In an interview with Gumuskaya (2021), Dr. Zeynep Elif Yildizel, who is the founder and Vice President of Association of Geological Research, asserted that the global energy crisis will have a negative impact on Türkiye, and more people will be energy-poor due to increasing energy prices. Furthermore, she suggested that energy vulnerable households will be exposed to food poverty soon, since the increase in energy prices will also increase food prices after a while. According to her, this means that people who are already energy-vulnerable will have to spend their income on food first, by cutting back on their electricity, water, and natural gas usage. However, when increases in energy prices also increase food prices, households will also have to cut their food expenditures (Gumuskaya, 2021).</p> <p>Azem Bartu Yildirim (2021), a researcher at the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM in Turkish), wrote about the increasing natural gas prices and its possible effect on residential consumers in Türkiye. Yildirim highlighted that natural gas is the main energy source for heating in the country; the share of households in total natural gas consumption was about 32% in 2020, before other sectors such as conversion (28%) and industry (26%). Considering the uncertainties about weather conditions during the winter period – despite estimations of air temperatures around the seasonal normal – it is likely for vulnerable consumers (such as low income households, disabled people, or pensioners) to be negatively affected by natural gas price increases due to increasing demand in winter (Yildirim, 2021). Quoting from Ali Arif Aktürk, who is the former director of Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAŞ) and an energy expert in Türkiye, Ozdemir (2021) touches on possible electricity cut offs in case of difficulties in power plants working with natural gas. On the other hand, households are not expected to be negatively affected by natural gas cuts.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>What are the impacts on supply conditions and suppliers?</strong></h2> <p>While some experts have forecasted that energy price increases would not affect Türkiye to the same extent as Europe, at the same time, they expect that Türkiye’s import bills on energy will increase because of higher energy prices (Zeren, 2021). In addition, Yildirim (2021) from the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM) argued that one of the vulnerabilities of Türkiye is its dependency on foreign sources of energy: in 2020, Türkiye met almost 99.7% of its natural gas demand through imports (Yildirim, 2021). On the other hand, Fatih Donmez, the incumbent Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, stated that investments made in electricity and natural gas infrastructure in recent years should help Türkiye not to confront any energy shortage during the winter months. This statement was grounded on Türkiye’s agreements of natural gas supply with Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran, and on the enlargement of national underground storage capacity of natural gas (hurriyetdailynews.com). As Bagış (2021) reported, Türkiye also takes steps towards the diversification of its energy sources, such as LNG imports from Algeria and Qatar (Bagıs, 2021). Moreover, he emphasized that the Turkish government continues negotiations for obtaining further supplies of natural gas since Türkiye’s contracts expire at the end of 2021 (Daily Sabah with AA, 2021).</p> <p>In 2021, energy distributors faced cost increases caused by higher raw material prices, drought and an increase in exchange rates. Energy industry representatives said that increasing demand along with higher prices and cost pressures put electricity distribution and generation companies in a difficult position. Noting that the industrial sector buys electricity very cheaply, the representatives underlined that a 45% increase should be made for the industrial sector in the coming period. Burak Kuyan, who is the chairman of Energy Traders Association, stated that the hikes that have not been made and the measures that have not been taken in a timely manner are more likely to cause more problems in the future. He also noted that, although the hikes that were not made did not cause much trouble for electricity production companies, they caused serious problems especially for electricity retail companies. According to Kuyan, potential problems include the inability of generation plants with shrinking profit margins to pay their debts and the burden on the banking sector (bloomberght.com, 2021c).</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Which policy responses have been implemented or debated?</strong></h2> <p>Different types of policy responses exist in Türkiye to deal with the problem of energy poverty. These concern the cut of various contributions that were previously paid by consumers, such as a fee called TRT share is included in the electricity bills in Türkiye to meet the expenses of the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) Corporation. Another fee is the electricity energy fund fee[3] charged to consumers to cover the infrastructure needs in a context where both the population and the electricity consumption increase (haberturk.com, 2021b). President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a press statement he made after the cabinet meeting earlier in November 2021, announced that the TRT share in electricity bills would be removed and that energy fund cuts would be implemented to alleviate the burden of increasing energy prices on consumers (bloomberght.com, 2021d; Erdem, 2021). Some experts, on the other hand, argued that removing the TRT share and energy fund cuts from electricity bills would not make much of a difference for residential consumers, claiming that even if the cuts come into effect, their impact on the monthly household electricity bills would not exceed 1.5 to 2 liras (Erdem, 2021).</p> <p>Mehmet Ozdag, who is the member of the Board of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers (EMO in Turkish) argued that the Value-Added Tax (VAT) taken at the rate of 18% from electricity bills could also be abolished to alleviate the energy burden on residential consumers. Alternatively, he proposed that VAT rates could be determined according to the amount of households’ electricity consumption and the surface of dwellings they reside in. Concerning the municipal consumption tax[4] that is still charged on electricity bills, he suggested that removing this tax which represents 5% of the electricity bills could ease the burden on residential consumers (Erdem, 2021).</p> <p>Besides this debate, Fatih Donmez, the incumbent Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced the introduction of a gradual pricing schedule in electricity and natural gas bills. Donmez said that the timetable was not yet clarified since they were waiting for the law to come out. Upon switching to gradually priced bills the consumers who use electricity sparingly will pay lower bills relative to heavily consuming subscribers (haberglobal.com.tr, 2021). At this point, it would be important to accurately target fuel poor households who are also income-poor since low-income and precarious households already use electricity and/or natural gas sparingly. Providing adequate and affordable energy for all is key.</p> <p>At the local level, the Municipality of Uskudar, a district in Istanbul, announced that during the winter 2021-22, they would provide 400 TL/month of natural gas support for the in-district residential use of students’ apartments where at least three-roommates reside with subscription of Istanbul Gas Distribution Industry and Trade Joint Stock Company (IGDAS) (memurlar.net, 2021).</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>To what extent have the energy poverty impacts of the crisis affected the national debate on energy poverty?</strong></h2> <p>The global energy crisis and its possible effects on Türkiye received wide media coverage in the country. This situation inevitably brought the issue of energy affordability on the policy agenda. To avoid energy poverty, policymakers strongly recommend that households implement energy conservation measures. Fatih Donmez, the current Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, recently pointed out the importance of changing habits and attitudes towards energy use so as to save energy (Daily Sabah with AA, 2021). The gradual pricing for energy, for both residential and industrial consumers, also aims to bring about a change in habits, by encouraging the efficient use of electrical energy and ensuring that those who consume more in similar consumer groups bear the cost of their overconsumption (haberglobal.com.tr, 2021).</p> <p>In addition, considering that Türkiye depends on fossil fuels to a large extent and that its energy demand is expected to increase in the future, Cevheribucak (2021) emphasizes the importance of an energy transition for the country. She suggests that Türkiye needs to take steps to ensure its energy security by transitioning away from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas for environmental sustainability, human security, and energy justice. Most importantly, she points to the disparity between policy and implementation to achieve “just” energy transition along with sustainable mobility in Türkiye.</p> <p>On the other hand, in an interview with Gumuskaya (2021), Dr. Zeynep Elif Yıldızel[5] approached the issue from a different standpoint, referring to the neoliberal policies such as the privatizations in the energy sector since 1980, production costs deprived of government support, and increased costs upon the 2008 crisis as the main reasons of energy poverty in the world. She suggests that the increase in prices due to privatizations and to the inability to control primary energy sources such as crude oil and/or natural gas resulted in increase in energy prices both in Türkiye and in other countries. By saying this, she highlights that since both Europe and Türkiye are heavily dependent on Russia for their natural gas demand, they cannot control for the price of natural gas and therefore, face high energy prices. According to her, this is what happened in Türkiye and Europe in September and October 2021. As a result of this, she added, more people are expected to become energy poor in both Türkiye and Europe (Gumuskaya, 2021).</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2> <p>Rising energy prices prevail across the world. Not surprisingly, it is expected that Türkiye will also be affected to a certain extent by the increasing energy prices. Energy prices in Türkiye have already been on an upward trend for the last couple of years. Authorities have taken and continue to take some measures to mitigate the impact of increasing energy prices on the budgets of households and firms. Energy efficiency, coupled with a transition to renewable energy, is undoubtedly critical at this point, notwithstanding it is a longer-term endeavour. Therefore, low-income individuals/households will probably need continued protection from the rising energy prices in Türkiye in the future.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Notes</strong></h2> <p class="MsoFootnoteText">In accordance with the circular published in the Official Gazette on “The Use of Expression of ‘Türkiye’ as a trademark (Independent Türkçe, 2021), the expression ‘Türkiye’ is used.</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText">[1] 1 Turkish lira equal to 100 kuruş.</p> <p>[2] For the press release of Republic of Türkiye Energy Market Regulatory Authority (2021), please see <em>Elektrik Faturalarına Esas Tarife Tabloları: 1/7/2021 tarihinden itibaren geçerli olacak elektrik tarifeleri tabloları hk</em>. Link: <a href="https://www.epdk.gov.tr/Detay/Icerik/3-1327/elektrik-faturalarina-esas-tarife-tablolari">https://www.epdk.gov.tr/Detay/Icerik/3-1327/elektrik-faturalarina-esas-tarife-tablolari#</a>.</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText">[3] The Energy fund fee is a contribution for meeting the sector infrastructure expenses. İt is  determined by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (Euronews, 2021).</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText">[4] Municipal consumption tax is a compulsory tax that is calculated proportionally over the “active energy cost” included in the electricity bills of consumers. It is also known as “electricity consumption tax”. These taxes are transferred directly to the municipalities’ budgets, thus supporting local municipalities. Municipal consumption tax (MCT) rates differ for residential and industrial subscribers (5% of the consumption amount for residential and commercial subscribers and 1% of the consumption amount for industrial subscribers) (elektriksepeti.com, 2016).</p> <p>[5] Dr. Yıldızel is an energy expert who is the founder and Vice President of the Association of Geological Researches. She worked at Turkish Petroleum Corporation between 1996-2009. She is the writer of “Energy Resources: Global Perspective, Concepts and Economics (zeynepelifyildizel.com, 2022). She is frequently featured in the media with her speeches and articles on energy. Her main research interests are carbonates, energy resources, economic geology, petroleum geology, hydrocarbon exploration, oil and gas, subsurface geology and well logs (METU Geological Engineering Department, 2022).</p> <p> </p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-references--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-references paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-references.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">References</div> <div class="field--item"><p>Altunkaya, T. 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Link:<a href="https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ekonomi/dunya-enerji-krizinin-ortasinda-yuksek-fiyat-donemi-41917575">https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ekonomi/dunya-enerji-krizinin-ortasinda-yuksek-fiyat-donemi-41917575</a>.  [Accessed 26 November 2021].</p> <p>Zeynepelifyildizel.com. (2022). Personal Website. Link: <a href="https://www.zeynepelifyildizel.com/">https://www.zeynepelifyildizel.com/</a>. [Accessed 15 August 2022].</p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-comments--article.html.twig * field--node--field-comments.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-comments.html.twig x field--comment.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <div class="comments_wrapper"> <section class="container"> </section> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-citation-info--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-citation-info field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Citation instruction</div> <div class="field--item"><p>Günay, S. and Kayacan, B. (2021) 2021 Energy Price Crisis impacts on Energy Poverty in Türkiye, <em>EP-pedia, ENGAGER COST Action.</em></p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> Wed, 31 Aug 2022 08:33:00 +0000 ute.dubois 257 at http://www.eppedia.eu http://www.eppedia.eu/article/2021-energy-price-crisis-impacts-energy-poverty-turkiye-0#comments 2021 energy price crisis impacts on energy poverty in Spain http://www.eppedia.eu/article/2021-energy-price-crisis-impacts-energy-poverty-spain <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>2021 energy price crisis impacts on energy poverty in Spain</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Author</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/barrella-roberto" hreflang="en">Barrella Roberto</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>ute.dubois</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span>Mon, 12/13/2021 - 15:48</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-affiliation--article.html.twig * field--node--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-affiliation field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Affiliation</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/108" hreflang="en">Chair of Energy and Poverty - ICAI School of Engineering, Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid (Spain)</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-first-published-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-first-published-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">First published date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-12-13T12:00:00Z">2021.12.13</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-last-updated-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-last-updated-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Last updated date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2022-04-12T12:00:00Z">2022.04.12</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-theme--article.html.twig * field--node--field-theme.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-theme.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-theme field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Theme</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/147" hreflang="en">2021 energy price crisis</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1" hreflang="en">Electricity</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/63" hreflang="en">Gas</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/68" hreflang="en">Affordability</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3" hreflang="en">Policy</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-download--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-download.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-download.html.twig * field--file.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-download field--type-file field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Article download</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'file_link' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf icon-before"><span class="file-icon"><span class="icon glyphicon glyphicon-file text-primary" aria-hidden="true"></span></span><span class="file-link"><a href="http://www.eppedia.eu/sites/default/files/2022-04/Barrella_2021%20Energy%20Price%20Crisis%20in%20Spain_Barrella_EP-pedia.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=242431" title="Open file in new window" target="_blank">Barrella_2021 Energy Price Crisis in Spain</a></span><span class="file-size">236.75 KB</span></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-page-elements--article.html.twig * field--node--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--entity-reference-revisions.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-page-elements field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>The most updated official diagnosis to date on the incidence of energy poverty in Spain is the one carried out by the National Strategy against Energy Poverty [1], [2]. The four primary indicators proposed by the EU Energy Poverty Observatory (EPOV) [3] were calculated between 2014 and 2019 using the data of the Spanish Living Conditions Survey and Household Budget Survey. Table 1 shows their values expressed as share of households in energy poverty in Spain with respect to the total number of households in the year of study.</p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-full-width-image--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-full-width-image paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-image--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_full_width/public/2021-12/Table%201.png?itok=LJ0FeROW" width="1200" height="485" alt="" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-caption field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Table 1. Incidence of energy poverty in Spain, according to the EPOV primary indicators (percentage of households) [1], [2]</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Regarding energy prices, which are one of the key issues affecting energy poverty, the Spanish natural gas and electricity tariffs can be divided in “regulated market” and “free market” tariffs, being the former regulated by the Government and the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC). Particularly, the electricity regulated tariff (PVPC is the Spanish acronym for the electricity regulated price) depends directly on the wholesale electricity market, which sets the prices throughout the day. On the other hand, in the natural gas regulated tariff (TUR in Spanish), the Government and the CNMC publish quarterly the maximum and minimum price that gas retailers can charge in the bill. According to the CNMC [4], in the last trimester of 2019, 37.2% of electricity consumers where on the regulated market against only 19.9% of natural gas consumers who contracted a TUR. In 2020, these percentages did not change drastically (in the third trimester were, respectively, 36.9% and 19.8%). In this regard, the average electricity bill of a Spanish household strongly depends on the type of tariff contracted. Indeed, according to the CNMC [5], in the last semester of 2019, the average monthly electricity expenditure in the regulated and free markets were, respectively, €48.9 and €63. A similar difference was reported in the last semester of 2020 (i.e. regulated market: €46.4; free market: €61.7). Among the other energy carriers used in Spanish households, the maximum price of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG, butane or propane) is also regulated (bimonthly) by the government.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>How has the crisis affected energy costs for households? </strong></h2></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-full-width-image--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-full-width-image paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-image--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_full_width/public/2021-12/Table%202.png?itok=8OE5tlMq" width="1200" height="531" alt="" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-caption field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Table 2. 2021-2019 ‘regulated’ energy prices’ difference during winter [6], [7]</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>The 2021 energy crisis has affected Spanish households’ energy expenditure (particularly the electricity and natural gas bills) in different ways depending on if the consumer is on the regulated or free market and the kind of tariff contracted. Regarding the electricity supply, the Government has ensured that the household will pay, on average, the same amount of money in 2021 as in 2018<a href="#_ftn1">[1]</a>, considering that only the bills of household on the PVPC have been directly affected by the price increase in the wholesale electricity market (see Introduction). However, consumer organizations as FACUA claim that, in order for the government to keep its word, the December PVPC bill would have to be ‘negative’, i.e. the average user of the regulated tariff should receive around 15 euros in December's bill<a href="#_ftn2">[2]</a>.</p> <p>When focusing on the 2021 winter months<a href="#_ftn3">[3]</a> (which are generally the most critical ones for vulnerable households) and on the ‘regulated’ prices<a href="#_ftn4">[4]</a> (in Spain, consumers must be on the electricity regulated market as primary condition to benefit from social tariffs), the energy prices change with respect to the pre-COVID year, i.e. 2019, have been the ones shown Table 2. These values take into account the Government’s price-mitigation measures described hereafter.</p> <p>It can be noticed that the higher price increase was the one related to the electricity time-change tariff, which was much cheaper in 2019. On the other hand, the regulated natural-gas price cap set by the Government in October 2021 has resulted in a decrease of the regulated natural gas tariff in 2021 compared to 2019.</p> <p>Regarding the “free-market”, the analysis of the overall trend is trivial because every supplier can offer several tariffs. However, it should be highlighted that specific suppliers have proposed new tariffs that apparently guarantee a fixed electricity price for up to two years.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Which policy responses have been implemented or debated?</strong></h2> <p>The energy prices shown in Table 2 take into account the following government measures<a href="#_ftn6">[6]</a> introduced to mitigate the price hikes [8], [9], [10]:</p> <ul> <li>Electricity: <ul> <li>Reduction of VAT from 21% to 10%<a href="#_ftn7">[7]</a> (Royal Decree-Law 12/2021 of 24 June 2021, effective from the end of June).</li> <li>Reduction of electricity tax from 5.11% to 0.5% (Royal Decree-Law 17/2021 of 14 September 2021, effective from mid-September).</li> <li>Reduction of demand charges (96% reduction, Royal Decree-Law 17/2021 of 14 September 2021, effective from mid-September)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Natural gas: <ul> <li>Cap on the regulated price of natural gas (TUR) for winter 2021/2022 (Royal Decree-Law 17/2021 of 14 September 2021, Resolution of 26 September 2021, effective from the end of September)</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>Moreover, the Royal Decree Law 23/2021 [9] increased the assistance programs’ coverage (described in [6]), both for the electricity social tariff and the Thermal Social Allowance (TSA, introduced in 2018 to support heating, domestic hot water and cooking costs in Spanish vulnerable households). Specifically, the discount on the electricity bill granted by the social tariff to vulnerable consumers was increased from the current 25% to 60% and from 40% to 70% for the severely vulnerable - until 31 March 2022. On the other hand, the budget for the TSA was doubled in 2021 (the starting budget earmarked for 2021 was €100m), reaching 202.5 million euros. Considering the number of TSA beneficiaries in 2021 (1.22 million households), the average allowance has been €166 per household.</p> <p>Additionally, the Royal Decree Law 17/2021 [8]  enhanced the  moratorium of four months (after the first demand for payment) to disconnect the electricity supply of vulnerable consumers by adding six months with a "minimum vital supply" proxy, which consists of a electricity supply with a maximum power of 3.5 kW.</p> <p>Finally, the bill that cut 'windfall profits' to electricity companies (CO2 allowances in the remuneration of power plants that do not bear these costs, mainly hydroelectric and nuclear plants) has been approved in the chamber of deputies.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>What do we know on the current impacts in terms of energy poverty?</strong></h2> <p>A recently published study [6] proposes a methodology to estimate the Spanish winter energy poverty  (WEP) share  based on the EPOV 2M approach (see Table 1) using the required thermal energy expenditure of vulnerable households. Moreover, that work assesses the impact of the Thermal Social Allowance (TSA). The latter calculation was performed for 2019, but the same authors have replicated the calculation for 2021 [7] including the new structure of the electricity bill, the average energy prices for 2021 and the short-term measures implemented (described above). In 2021, despite the price-mitigation measures implemented by the government, the average-household’s required thermal energy expenditure increased by 10% compared with its value in 2019 (2019: €1057; 2021: €1159). Moreover, the WEP share in the vulnerable consumers sample is expected to increase with respect to the same year (1.2% increase in vulnerable consumers affected by energy poverty during winter, thus reaching 97%). The good news is that the increase in the TSA budget enhanced the mitigation impact on WEP in 2021 with respect to 2019 (-2% compared to -1%).</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>What are the impacts on supply conditions and suppliers?</strong></h2> <p>2021 has been a critical year both for the change in the Spanish electricity tariff structure implemented in June<a href="#_ftn8">[8]</a> [11] and the energy price crisis that is still ongoing. These facts have been causing changes in contracts and supply conditions that have particularly affected the most vulnerable groups of the population, which often lack of knowledge on their energy bills. In order to increase the awareness on these issues, the Government decreed that ‘consumers must be given adequate notice in a transparent and comprehensible manner of any intention to modify the terms of the contract and informed of their right to withdraw from the contract free of charge when they receive notice’. Moreover, they should ‘be notified directly by their supplier of any price revision resulting from the planned conditions, at least one month in advance of its implementation in a transparent and comprehensible manner’ [9].</p> <p>On the other hand, the escalation in prices has triggered arrears among small suppliers, which may be forced to send their consumers to other companies that are more resistant to market shocks. For example, at the beginning of October, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge announced the start of procedures for disqualification and transfer of customers of two small electricity suppliers<a href="#_ftn9">[9]</a>.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>To what extent have the energy poverty impacts of the crisis affected the national debate on energy poverty?</strong></h2> <p>This energy price crisis has had a controversial impact on the national debate on energy poverty. On the one hand, it has increased the awareness on this social issue both in the political debate and on the public opinion. On the other hand, there is a risk of focusing and identifying energy poverty as a problem resulting (only) from high energy prices. Both aspects are connected with the redundancy of news on the energy price rise, which harks back the global debate on the definition of energy as a universal right, which was deeply analysed in a recent published ENGAGER toolkit<a href="#_ftn10">[10]</a> .</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2> <p>In 2021, despite the measures implemented by the government, energy poverty is expected to increase. The good news is that the increase in the budget for social allowances and the implementation of price reduction measures will at least alleviate the effects of this energy price increase. However, these palliative measures alone cannot be the solution to energy poverty in the medium and long term, not least because of their high annual cost. They should then be complemented by structural measures (e.g. improving the energy efficiency of housing and introducing a –real- minimum vital supply for vulnerable consumers) to avoid "chronification" of the problem, thus helping vulnerable households to escape from energy poverty.</p> <p> </p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> It is the year when the current prime minister come into government (news about the prime minister’s promise: <a href="https://elpais.com/especiales/2021/entrevista-pedro-sanchez/">https://elpais.com/especiales/2021/entrevista-pedro-sanchez/</a>)</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref2">[2]</a> <a href="https://www.elconfidencial.com/economia/2021-11-29/la-factura-de-diciembre-tendria-que-ser-negativa-para-que-sanchez-cumpla-su-palabra_3332816/">https://www.elconfidencial.com/economia/2021-11-29/la-factura-de-diciembre-tendria-que-ser-negativa-para-que-sanchez-cumpla-su-palabra_3332816/</a></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref3">[3]</a> According to the Spanish building regulation, the winter months (heating season) are from January to May and from October to December. However, the presented data assume that the average price in November and December will be the same as in October.</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref4">[4]</a> Regulated prices for electricity, natural gas and LPG. The prices used for gasoil and biomass are based on average price statistics "at delivery point".</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref5">[5]</a> Before June 2021, there were two main regulated market tariffs, i.e. 2.0A (no time metering or ‘flat tariff’) and 2.0DHA (time-of-use or ‘hourly discrimination’ tariff). The electricity tariff considered for the months after June 2021 is a new time-change tariff (2.0 D) valid for all consumer on the regulated market.</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref6">[6]</a> It includes only price mitigation measures that directly impact the energy bill.</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref7">[7]</a> VAT is reduced from 21% to 10% for consumers with contracted power up to 10 kW if the average market price exceeds 45 euros per MWh. The government reinforces the degree of protection for severely vulnerable consumers, applying 10% VAT regardless of the market price and the contracted power.</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref8">[8]</a> In the new structure, the amount of two of the invoices of the electricity bill, i.e. regulated system access fees and the demand charges, depends on in which of the regulated three day-bands the electricity is being consumed:  peak hours (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.), flat or standard hours (from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and in the evening from 10 p.m. to midnight) and off-peak hours (from midnight to 8 a.m. on weekdays and the twenty-four hours of weekends and public holidays).</p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref9">[9]</a> <a href="https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2021/10/05/pdfs/BOE-B-2021-41024.pdf">https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2021/10/05/pdfs/BOE-B-2021-41024.pdf</a></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref10">[10]</a> <a href="http://www.engager-energy.net/policy-briefs/">http://www.engager-energy.net/policy-briefs/</a></p> <p> </p> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"> </p> <p> </p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"> </p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-references--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-references paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-references.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">References</div> <div class="field--item"><p>[1]    Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica, Estrategia Nacional contra la Pobreza Energética 2019-2024, 2019. <a href="https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/prensa/estrategianacionalcontralapobrezaenergetica2019-2024_tcm30-496282.pdf">https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/prensa/estrategianacionalcontralapobrezaen…</a>.</p> <p>[2]    Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, Actualización de indicadores de la Estrategia Nacional contra la Pobreza Energética. Noviembre de 2020, 2020. <a href="https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/prensa/20201106_actualizaciondeindicadores2020_final__tcm30-516466.pdf">https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/prensa/20201106_actualizaciondeindicadores…</a> (accessed November 12, 2020).</p> <p>[3]    Indicators, (n.d.). <a href="https://energy-poverty.ec.europa.eu/energy-poverty-observatory/indicators_en">https://energy-poverty.ec.europa.eu/energy-poverty-observatory/indicato…</a> (accessed December 9, 2021).</p> <p>[4]    Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC), Informe De Supervisión De Los Cambios De Comercializador –Cuarto Trimestre 2019, 2019. <a href="http://www.cnmc.es">www.cnmc.es</a>.</p> <p>[5]    C.N. de los M. y la C. (CNMC), CNMCData, (2021). <a href="http://data.cnmc.es/datagraph/">http://data.cnmc.es/datagraph/</a> (accessed December 7, 2021).</p> <p>[6]    R. Barrella, J.I. Linares, J.C. Romero, E. Arenas, E. Centeno, Does cash money solve energy poverty? Assessing the impact of household heating allowances in Spain, Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 80 (2021) 1–18. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ERSS.2021.102216">https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ERSS.2021.102216</a>.</p> <p>[7]    R. Barrella, ¿Hasta dónde está llegando el bono térmico para paliar la Pobreza Energética?, VII Semin. Interdiscip. La Cátedra Energía y Pobr. (2021).</p> <p>[8]    Jefatura Del Estado, Real Decreto-ley 17/2021, de 14 de septiembre, de medidas urgentes para mitigar el impacto de la escalada de precios del gas natural en los mercados minoristas de gas y electricidad., 2021.</p> <p>[9]    Jefatura Del Estado, Real Decreto-ley 23/2021, de 26 de octubre, de medidas urgentes en materia de energía para la protección de los consumidores y la introducción de transparencia en los mercados mayorista y minorista de electricidad y gas natural, 2021.</p> <p>[10]  Jefatura del Estado, Real Decreto-ley 12/2021, de 24 de junio, por el que se adoptan medidas urgentes en el ámbito de la fiscalidad energética y en materia de generación de energía, y sobre gestión del canon de regulación y de la tarifa de utilización del agua, 2021.</p> <p>[11]  Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC), La nueva factura de la luz | CNMC, (2021). <a href="https://www.cnmc.es/la-nueva-factura-de-la-luz">https://www.cnmc.es/la-nueva-factura-de-la-luz</a> (accessed May 17, 2021).</p> <h3> </h3> <h3>Web links</h3> <p>(see notes)</p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-comments--article.html.twig * field--node--field-comments.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-comments.html.twig x field--comment.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <div class="comments_wrapper"> <section class="container"> </section> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-citation-info--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-citation-info field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Citation instruction</div> <div class="field--item"><p>Barrella, R. (2021) 2021 Energy Price Crisis impacts on Energy Poverty in Spain, <em>EP-pedia, ENGAGER COST Action.</em></p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> Mon, 13 Dec 2021 15:48:55 +0000 ute.dubois 251 at http://www.eppedia.eu http://www.eppedia.eu/article/2021-energy-price-crisis-impacts-energy-poverty-spain#comments Consumers access to affordable energy sources in Cyprus http://www.eppedia.eu/article/consumers-access-affordable-energy-sources-cyprus <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Consumers access to affordable energy sources in Cyprus</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Author</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/serghides-despina" hreflang="en">Serghides Despina</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/kyprianou-ioanna" hreflang="en">Kyprianou Ioanna</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>ute.dubois</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span>Tue, 03/16/2021 - 21:56</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-affiliation--article.html.twig * field--node--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-affiliation field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Affiliation</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/107" hreflang="en">The Cyprus Institute (Cyprus)</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-first-published-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-first-published-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">First published date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-02-22T12:00:00Z">2021.02.22</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-last-updated-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-last-updated-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Last updated date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-03-22T12:00:00Z">2021.03.22</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-theme--article.html.twig * field--node--field-theme.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-theme.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-theme field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Theme</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/68" hreflang="en">Affordability</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1" hreflang="en">Electricity</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/63" hreflang="en">Gas</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/81" hreflang="en">Social tariff</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-download--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-download.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-download.html.twig * field--file.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-download field--type-file field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Article download</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'file_link' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf icon-before"><span class="file-icon"><span class="icon glyphicon glyphicon-file text-primary" aria-hidden="true"></span></span><span class="file-link"><a href="http://www.eppedia.eu/sites/default/files/2021-03/Serghides%20%26%20Kyprianou_2021_Consumers%20access%20to%20affordable%20energy%20sources%20in%20Cyprus_EP-pedia.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=107366" title="Open file in new window" target="_blank">Serghides &amp; Kyprianou_2021_Consumers access to affordable energy sources in Cyprus</a></span><span class="file-size">104.85 KB</span></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-page-elements--article.html.twig * field--node--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--entity-reference-revisions.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-page-elements field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><h2><strong>Perspective on consumers’ access to affordable energy sources in the policy debate of Cyprus</strong></h2> <p>Consumers in Cyprus do not have alternatives when it comes to selecting electricity suppliers or plans that are affordable and still fulfill their needs. The electricity market in Cyprus is monopolized by the state-owned Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) that generates and provides 100% of the island’s electricity. The electricity market was partly liberalised in 2004 (35% for the wholesale component of the market) and even further in 2009 (65%). The Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) has proposed liberalisation of the Cyprus electricity market by July 1, 2019. At the moment there are no competitors to EAC, which still remains the sole electricity supplier of the domestic market. This was a major issue in 2011 when an explosion at one of the major power stations of EAC resulted in serious supply issues and selective power cuts throughout the island. Moreover, energy companies wishing to supply electricity in the near future would need to submit an application to CERA and obtain a corresponding license (Oosterhuis, 2013). In recent developments, several companies have obtained generating and supplying licenses to compete in the electricity market against EAC, utilizing mainly petroleum and solar technologies – with the provisions to expand to natural gas (CERA, 2020). Therefore, in 2020 and 2021 a number of key projects, currently under tendering or implementation, are expected to materialize (Mesimeris et al., 2020). The full liberalisation of the electricity market is expected to attract investors and eventually offer lower costs for domestic electricity.</p> <p>The gas market is currently non-existent in Cyprus. According to EU directives, Cyprus qualifies and is classified as an emerging market for natural gas and also as an isolated market. The Natural Gas Public Company (DEFA), set up and controlled by the state, is the sole distributor, of any form of natural gas, in Cyprus i.e. DEFA is totally responsible for the Cyprus Internal Gas Market. Moreover, the gas sector is expected to follow a fully monopolistic model for a period of at least 10 years (Natural Gas Public Company (DEFA), 2012).</p> <p>As for the services that may alleviate costs of electricity, the EAC offers installation of storage heaters and promotion of prosumers (consumers who generate electricity mainly via photovoltaics) via net metering. There is also a special tariff targeting vulnerable consumer groups, as specified in the relative legislation for the regulation of the electricity market (EAC, 2018a). The cost of the special tariff is covered by public service obligations (PSOs), imposed on all non-vulnerable consumers in Cyprus (EAC, 2018b). Significantly, at the moment there are no contract limitations on the amount of energy the vulnerable consumers are allowed to consume. This has possible implications such as excess costs in PSOs as a consequence of uncontrolled consumption at the special tariff. This special tariff was introduced in 2006 as a result of the relative <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32003L0054">EU Directives 2003/54/EC</a> and <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32003L0055">2003/55/EC</a> stipulating that member states should protect consumers against inability to pay their bills and therefore mitigate energy poverty. The regulations governing the tariff were revised in 2013, 2015 and 2016 towards increasingly refined definitions of groups of vulnerable consumers, without necessarily resulting in decreased group sizes. According to the National Energy and Climate Plan for Cyprus, categories of vulnerable consumers will be expanded, introducing income criteria and this will be announced within 2020 through a new Order (Mesimeris et al., 2020); something which is still anticipated due to public health-related delays.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Research perspective on consumers’ access to affordable energy sources in Cyprus</strong></h2> <p>At the moment there has been no academic research published on this topic. Data on consumer access to affordable energy sources can be found on the EPOV database of knowledge and resources  (EPOV, 2018).</p> <p> </p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-references--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-references paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-references.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">References</div> <div class="field--item"><p>CERA. (2020). <em>Electricity - Registry of Licenses</em>.</p> <p>EAC. (2018a). <em>Beneficiaries of Tariff with Code 08</em>.</p> <p>EAC. (2018b). <em>Public Service Obligations (P.S.O.)</em>.</p> <p>EPOV. (2018). <em>Knowledge &amp; Resources</em>.</p> <p>Mesimeris, T., Kythreotou, N., Menelaou, M., Rousos, C., Karapitta-Zachariadou, C., Partasides, G., Antoniou, T., Hadjinikolaou, N., Piripitsi, K., Kalaika, A., Christophidou, A., Chandriotis, M., Papageorgiou, G., Chrysaphis, M., Ellinopoulos, C., Stougiannis, E., Sotirelis, A., Lambrinos, M., Psyllides, D., … Kleanthous, A. (2020). <em>Cyprus’ Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan</em>.</p> <p>Natural Gas Public Company (DEFA). (2012). <em>The Energy Market in Cyprus: Natural Gas Changing the Picture</em>.</p> <p>Oosterhuis, F. (2013). <em>IVM Institute for Environmental Studies Budgetary support and tax expenditures for fossil fuels</em>. <em>January</em>, 58.</p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-comments--article.html.twig * field--node--field-comments.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-comments.html.twig x field--comment.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <div class="comments_wrapper"> <section class="container"> </section> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-citation-info--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-citation-info field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Citation instruction</div> <div class="field--item"><p>Serghides, D. &amp; Kyprianou, I. (2021) Consumers’ access to affordable energy sources in Cyprus, EP-pedia, ENGAGER COST Action.</p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> Tue, 16 Mar 2021 21:56:49 +0000 ute.dubois 240 at http://www.eppedia.eu http://www.eppedia.eu/article/consumers-access-affordable-energy-sources-cyprus#comments Excess heat in homes during the summer in Cyprus http://www.eppedia.eu/article/excess-heat-homes-during-summer-cyprus <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Excess heat in homes during the summer in Cyprus</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Author</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/serghides-despina" hreflang="en">Serghides Despina</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/kyprianou-ioanna" hreflang="en">Kyprianou Ioanna</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>ute.dubois</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span>Tue, 03/16/2021 - 21:24</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-affiliation--article.html.twig * field--node--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-affiliation field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Affiliation</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/107" hreflang="en">The Cyprus Institute (Cyprus)</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-first-published-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-first-published-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">First published date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-02-22T12:00:00Z">2021.02.22</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-last-updated-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-last-updated-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Last updated date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-03-22T12:00:00Z">2021.03.22</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-theme--article.html.twig * field--node--field-theme.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-theme.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-theme field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Theme</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/91" hreflang="en">Summer energy poverty</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/31" hreflang="en">Climate change</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/133" hreflang="en">Air conditioning</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/68" hreflang="en">Affordability</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-download--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-download.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-download.html.twig * field--file.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-download field--type-file field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Article download</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'file_link' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf icon-before"><span class="file-icon"><span class="icon glyphicon glyphicon-file text-primary" aria-hidden="true"></span></span><span class="file-link"><a href="http://www.eppedia.eu/sites/default/files/2021-03/Serghiges_Kyprianou_2021_Excess%20heat%20in%20homes%20during%20the%20summer%20in%20Cyprus_EP-pedia.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=175624" title="Open file in new window" target="_blank">Serghides &amp; Kyprianou_2021_Excess heat in Cyprus</a></span><span class="file-size">171.51 KB</span></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-page-elements--article.html.twig * field--node--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--entity-reference-revisions.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-page-elements field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><h2><strong>Excess heat in homes during the summer in the policy debate</strong></h2> <p>The climate is Cyprus is characterised by prolonged hot summers. High temperature and humidity levels in Cyprus often result in extreme heat conditions, with the Department of Meteorology announcing yellow alerts (above 40°C) on a frequent basis during the summer months.  This is also partly due to climate change, which leads to extreme heat phenomena being observed more frequently and more intensely. The Republic of Cyprus has taken measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of employees during the heat season. This concerns primarily employees working outdoors (e.g. in construction, road maintenance etc.), but also employees in indoors conditions (Republic of Cyprus, 2014). The original legislation was released in 1996 and has had revisions since then, with the last amendment being released in 2014. There is no officially recognized link to energy poverty, or to extreme heat in homes at the moment. Rather, the only consideration of excess heat in dwellings was during the finalisation of the electricity disconnection protection measure, when temporarily, it was prohibited to disconnect any dwelling from the electricity grid during the summer months. Nevertheless, once the measure was finalised, this prohibition was lifted and no additional measures were taken to mitigate extremely hot indoor conditions.</p> <p>Generally, the way to combat excess heat in summer involves adding insulation on the elements of the building envelope (walls, floor and roof), shading devises and thermally-efficient window systems, among other energy efficient interventions. The vast majority of households, especially in urban inland areas, use air conditioning (AC) units to cool indoor space (Kyprianou &amp; Serghides, 2020a). Nonetheless, EU-wide indicators such as the ability to keep homes adequately cool, indicates that almost 30% of Cyprus’ population is thermally uncomfortable in summer, calling into question the affordability of AC units in terms of running electricity, maintenance or replacement costs (EPOV, 2018). As more emphasis is expected to be given to refurbishments under the new EU Green Deal and the proclaimed renovation wave, some aspects of excess heat in summer are estimated to be dealt with.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Research perspective on excess heat in homes during the summer in Cyprus</strong></h2> <p>Research on excess heat in homes  has focused on the urban heat island effect encountered in Cyprus urban environments and the health impacts of extreme heat as projected over the next century (Heaviside et al., 2016; Theophilou &amp; Serghides, 2015). Moreover, there has been considerable investigation into the national building stock in Cyprus, as well as energy refurbishments of building envelopes towards better indoor environments and reduced energy consumption (D. K. Serghides, Dimitriou, Michaelidou, Christofi, &amp; Katafygiotou, 2017; D. K. Serghides, Dimitriou, &amp; Katafygiotou, 2016; D. K. Serghides, Dimitriou, Katafygiotou, &amp; Michaelidou, 2015; D.K. Serghides, Michaelidou, Christofi, Dimitriou, &amp; Katafygiotou, 2017; D K Serghides, Markides, &amp; Katafygiotou, 2015; Despina K Serghides, Dimitriou, Katafygiotoi, &amp; Chatzinikola, 2016). In a 2016 investigation, the importance of vegetation in relation to sealed soil in urban settings was presented for Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus (Fokaides, Kylili, Nicolaou, &amp; Ioannou, 2016). Moreover, a different research  team investigated the importance of linear parks along urban rivers, noting that park visitors felt thermally comfortable in their vast majority, in relation to urban areas beyond the park (Giannakis, Bruggeman, Poulou, Zoumides, &amp; Eliades, 2016). Ziogou et al. (2017) studied the electricity savings and environmental impact of green roofs in office spaces in Cyprus during the summer and winter seasons (Ziogou, Michopoulos, Voulgari, &amp; Zachariadis, 2017). In a further study on green roofs, a reduction of up to 35% in primary energy consumption was modelled for single-family buildings in the summer period of Cyprus (Ziogou, Michopoulos, Voulgari, &amp; Zachariadis, 2018). Nevertheless, green roofs were assessed as not cost-effective; therefore, this technology cannot at the moment be applied in the policy debate on energy poverty and low-income households.</p> <p>Research on this topic has thus been relatively plentiful and diverse for a small country such as Cyprus; however, a link between energy poverty and excess heat has not been given much research attention. In a small-scale survey (Kyprianou &amp; Serghides, 2020b), approximately 10% of the sample reported rarely or never feeling comfortably cool in their homes during the summer, while almost half reported spending more than 10% of their net monthly income on cooling (Fig. 1).</p> <p> </p> <p> </p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-two-images--default.html.twig x paragraph--pb-two-images.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb-two-images.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-two-images paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-two-image--pb-two-images.html.twig x field--paragraph--field-pg-two-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-two-images.html.twig * field--field-pg-two-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--paragraph--field-pg-two-image.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-two-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--items row"> <div class="field--item col-xs-12 col-sm-6 zebra-even"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_half_width/public/2021-03/Fig%201a_0.jpg?itok=ugJjbo9j" width="640" height="409" alt="Fig 1a" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item col-xs-12 col-sm-6 zebra-odd"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_half_width/public/2021-03/Fig%201b_0.jpg?itok=M4Nozqov" width="640" height="409" alt="Fig 1b" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--paragraph--field-pg-two-image.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption--pb-two-images.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-two-images.html.twig * field--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-caption field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Figure 1. Responses to the question &quot;Do you feel comfortably cool in your home in summer?&quot; (left) and &quot;On average, what percentage of your net monthly income is spent on space cooling in summer?” (right). With information from (Kyprianou &amp; Serghides, 2020</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb-two-images.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-references--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-references paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-references.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">References</div> <div class="field--item"><p>EPOV. (2018). Indicators &amp; Data. Retrieved June 7, 2018, from <a href="https://www.energypoverty.eu/indicator">https://www.energypoverty.eu/indicator</a>   </p> <p>Fokaides, P. A., Kylili, A., Nicolaou, L., &amp; Ioannou, B. (2016). The effect of soil sealing on the urban heat island phenomenon. <em>Indoor and Built Environment, 25(7)</em>, 1136–1147. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1420326X16644495">https://doi.org/10.1177/1420326X16644495</a></p> <p>Giannakis, E., Bruggeman, A., Poulou, D., Zoumides, C., &amp; Eliades, M. (2016). Linear parks along urban rivers: Perceptions of thermal comfort and climate change adaptation in Cyprus. <em>Sustainability (Switzerland), 8(10).</em> <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su8101023">https://doi.org/10.3390/su8101023</a></p> <p>Heaviside, C., Tsangari, H., Paschalidou, A., Vardoulakis, S., Kassomenos, P., Georgiou, K. E., &amp; Yamasaki, E. N. (2016). Heat-related mortality in Cyprus for current and future climate scenarios. <em>Science of the Total Environment</em>, 569–570, 627–633. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.138">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.138</a></p> <p>Kyprianou, I., &amp; Serghides, D. (2020a). Challenges in regional approaches: Lessons from Energy Poverty research in a small scale European member state. <em>IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science,</em> 410(1). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/410/1/012086">https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/410/1/012086</a></p> <p>Kyprianou, I., &amp; Serghides, D. (2020b). Dealing with energy poverty in Cyprus–an overview. <em>International Journal of Sustainable Energy</em>, 39(4), 308–320. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14786451.2019.1699560">https://doi.org/10.1080/14786451.2019.1699560</a></p> <p>Republic of Cyprus. (2014). Laws on safety and health of 1996 to 2011. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.mlsi.gov.cy/mlsi/dli/dliup.nsf/All/B81ED45714FD0F24C2257E1F003CA3D4?OpenDocument">http://www.mlsi.gov.cy/mlsi/dli/dliup.nsf/All/B81ED45714FD0F24C2257E1F003CA3D4?OpenDocument</a></p> <p>Serghides, D. K., Dimitriou, S. D., Michaelidou, M., Christofi, M., &amp; Katafygiotou, M. (2017). Achieving Nearly Zero Energy Multi-family Houses in Cyprus through Energy Refurbishments. <em>Energy and Environmental Engineering</em>, 5(1), 19–28. <a href="https://doi.org/10.13189/eee.2017.050103">https://doi.org/10.13189/eee.2017.050103</a></p> <p>Serghides, D. K., Dimitriou, S., &amp; Katafygiotou, M. C. (2016). Towards European targets by monitoring the energy profile of the Cyprus housing stock. <em>Energy and Buildings,</em> 132, 130–140. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.06.096">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.06.096</a></p> <p>Serghides, D. K., Dimitriou, S., Katafygiotou, M. C., &amp; Michaelidou, M. (2015). Energy efficient refurbishment towards nearly zero energy houses, for the mediterranean region. <em>Energy Procedia</em>, 83, 533–543. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.12.173">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.12.173</a></p> <p>Serghides, D.K., Michaelidou, M., Christofi, M., Dimitriou, S., &amp; Katafygiotou, M. (2017). Energy Refurbishment Towards Nearly Zero Energy Multi-family Houses, for Cyprus. <em>Procedia Environmental Sciences</em>, 38, 11–19. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2017.03.068">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2017.03.068</a></p> <p>Serghides, D K, Markides, M., &amp; Katafygiotou, M. C. (2015). Energy Retrofitting of the Mediterranean Terrace Dwellings. <em>Journal of Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development (RESD)</em>, (June). Retrieved from <a href="http://apc.aast.edu">http://apc.aast.edu</a></p> <p>Serghides, Despina K, Dimitriou, S., Katafygiotoi, M. C., &amp; Chatzinikola, C. (2016). Monitoring Indicators of the Building Envelope for the Optimisation of the Refurbishment Processes. <em>International Journal of Contemporary Architecture,</em> 3(1), 1–10. <a href="https://doi.org/10.14621/tna.20160101">https://doi.org/10.14621/tna.20160101</a></p> <p>Theophilou, M. K., &amp; Serghides, D. (2015). Estimating the characteristics of the Urban Heat Island Effect in Nicosia, Cyprus, using multiyear urban and rural climatic data and analysis. <em>Energy and Buildings</em>, 108, 137–144. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.08.034">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.08.034</a></p> <p>Ziogou, I., Michopoulos, A., Voulgari, V., &amp; Zachariadis, T. (2017). Energy, environmental and economic assessment of electricity savings from the operation of green roofs in urban office buildings of a warm Mediterranean region<em>. Journal of Cleaner Production</em>, 168, 346–356. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.08.217">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.08.217</a></p> <p>Ziogou, I., Michopoulos, A., Voulgari, V., &amp; Zachariadis, T. (2018). Implementation of green roof technology in residential buildings and neighborhoods of Cyprus. <em>Sustainable Cities and Society</em>, 40 (March), 233–243. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2018.04.007">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2018.04.007</a></p> <p> </p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-comments--article.html.twig * field--node--field-comments.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-comments.html.twig x field--comment.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <div class="comments_wrapper"> <section class="container"> </section> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-citation-info--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-citation-info field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Citation instruction</div> <div class="field--item"><p>Serghides, D., Kyprianou, I. (2021) Excess heat in homes during the summer in Cyprus, EP-pedia, ENGAGER COST Action.</p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> Tue, 16 Mar 2021 21:24:13 +0000 ute.dubois 239 at http://www.eppedia.eu http://www.eppedia.eu/article/excess-heat-homes-during-summer-cyprus#comments Affordability of energy for the general population and for specific groups in Portugal http://www.eppedia.eu/article/affordability-energy-general-population-and-specific-groups-portugal <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Affordability of energy for the general population and for specific groups in Portugal</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Author</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/gouveia-joao-pedro" hreflang="en">Gouveia João Pedro </a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/palma-pedro" hreflang="en">Palma Pedro</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>ute.dubois</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span>Thu, 01/28/2021 - 07:21</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-affiliation--article.html.twig * field--node--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-affiliation field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Affiliation</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">CENSE – Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, Department of Science and Environmental Engineering, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon (Portugal)</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-first-published-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-first-published-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">First published date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-01-28T12:00:00Z">2021.01.28</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-last-updated-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-last-updated-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Last updated date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-01-28T12:00:00Z">2021.01.28</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-theme--article.html.twig * field--node--field-theme.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-theme.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-theme field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Theme</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/68" hreflang="en">Affordability</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/81" hreflang="en">Social tariff</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/36" hreflang="en">Disconnections</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-download--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-download.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-download.html.twig * field--file.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-download field--type-file field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Article download</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'file_link' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf icon-before"><span class="file-icon"><span class="icon glyphicon glyphicon-file text-primary" aria-hidden="true"></span></span><span class="file-link"><a href="http://www.eppedia.eu/sites/default/files/2021-01/Gouveia%20%26%20Palma_2021_affordability%20in%20Portugal_EP-pedia.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=111204" title="Open file in new window" target="_blank">Gouveia &amp; Palma_2021_affordability in Portugal</a></span><span class="file-size">108.6 KB</span></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-page-elements--article.html.twig * field--node--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--entity-reference-revisions.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-page-elements field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><h2><strong>Context </strong></h2> <p>Energy affordability is closely related to the population income levels and the energy services that can be afforded with said income, thus involving also the energy carriers’ prices. In 2019, the adjusted gross disposable income of Portuguese households per capita in purchasing power standard (PPS) was €19 569, below the EU average of €23 388, placing in the bottom half of the EU member states list (Eurostat, 2020a). In the same year, the country had a Gini index (which measures income distribution inequality) of 31.9%, above the EU average of 30.2 %. (Eurostat, 2020b). An index of 0 represents total equality, whereas 100% represents maximum inequality. Income distribution ratio is also a useful indicator to understand inequalities, namely concerning the purchasing power of the population. It is the ratio between the total income of the 20% of the population with the highest income and the 20 % of the population with the lowest income. Portugal has the eighth highest income distribution ratio in the EU, above the EU average (Eurostat, 2020c). Moreover, 17.2% of the population was at risk of poverty in 2019, also higher than the European rate (16.5%) (Eurostat, 2020d). As for energy prices, in the first half of 2020, natural gas and electricity prices for household consumers with all taxes and levies included were respectively the first and fourth highest for household consumers in the EU-27, in PPS, well above the EU average (Eurostat, 2020e; Eurostat, 2020f). The low incomes, coupled with high energy prices, results in a higher risk of significant energy poverty levels in the population.</p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-full-width-image--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-full-width-image paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-image--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_full_width/public/2021-01/Table%201.png?itok=5xtPoTLM" width="1200" height="645" alt="Table 1: Income-related Indicators for Portugal and the EU-27" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/image/templates/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-full-width-image.html.twig * field--field-pg-caption.html.twig * field--string.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-pg-caption field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Table 1: Income-related Indicators for Portugal and the EU-27</div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><h2><strong>Perspective on energy affordability measures in Portugal</strong></h2> <p>Portugal's only policy measures that directly target energy poverty are the social electricity and natural gas tariffs. The electricity and gas tariff are an automatic social support consisting of a discount on the standard tariff for access to respectively the low voltage electricity networks and low-pressure natural gas for households. Around 800 000 households have this support (19% of all households). These households are identified automatically through the social welfare system (ADENE; 2019). The eligibility criteria for the electricity social tariff are: location exclusively being used for domestic use in permanent housing, with a contracted electrical power at a low voltage of 6.9 kVA or less, and receiving one of six different welfare support schemes. These schemes are: 1) solidarity supplement for the elderly; 2) social insertion income; 3) social unemployment allowance; 4) family allowance; 5) disability pension; 6) social pension of old age. However, even if a household does not receive any social support, it can benefit from this social rate if the household's total annual income is equal to or less than 5 808 €, plus 50% for each household member (up to a maximum of 10) who do not have any income. For the natural gas social tariff, the criteria are similar, with the household also having to be exclusively used for domestic use, having low-pressure gas, with an annual natural gas consumption of 500 m3 or less, and to be receiving one of the following supports from the social welfare system: 1) solidarity supplement for the elderly; 2) social insertion income; 3) social unemployment allowance; 4) family allowance (first step); 5) disability pension. Approved in November 2020, the Decree-law nr.100/2020 has extended the social energy tariffs for the unemployed and invalid pensioners. These tariffs improve energy affordability of financially vulnerable consumers, since they reduce the energy bill. Nevertheless, they do not tackle any of the causes of energy poverty, thus being short-term measures to a persistent problem.</p> <p>In Portugal, generally there are no measures providing disconnection protection, except for extraordinary situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where disconnections were suspended. For the general population, the deadline to pay an energy bill, before the power is cut, is 10 business days counting from the date when the bill is delivered. For vulnerable consumers, selected according to the same criteria as in the social tariff, the deadline is extended to 20 business days. Unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic, and on a more permanent basis, in November 2020, a new regulation was approved, introducing the reduction of the contracted power before disconnection, thus giving more time for the consumer to pay the debt. The government has recently reduced the VAT tax on electricity consumption from 23% to 13% for the first 100 kWh consumed, or the first 150kWh for large families (five or more persons). For the fixed component of the bill, related to the contracted power and gas volume, VAT tax was reduced from 23% to 6% in 2019, for power up to 3.45kVA and low-pressure consumptions up to 10 000m3.</p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-references--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-references paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-references.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">References</div> <div class="field--item"><p>ADENE. (2019). Pobreza Energética em Debate [Energy Poverty in Debate]. Agência para a Energia [Portuguese Energy Agency]. Available at: <a href="https://www.adene.pt/pobreza-energetica-em-debate/">https://www.adene.pt/pobreza-energetica-em-debate/</a></p> <p>Decree-law nr. 100/200 of 26 of November, from the Ministry of the Environment and Climatic action. Official Gazette nr. 231. Presidency of the Council of Ministers.</p> <p>Eurostat (2020b). Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income - EU-SILC survey. Database. Available at: <a href="https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_di12&amp;lang=en">https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_di12&amp;lang=en</a></p> <p>Eurostat. (2020a). Adjusted gross disposable income of households per capita in PPS. Database. Available at: <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/product/view/tec00113?lang=en">https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/product/view/tec00113?lang=en</a></p> <p>Eurostat. (2020c). Income distribution. Database. Available at: <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/product/view/sdg_10_41?lang=en">https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/product/view/sdg_10_41?lang=en</a></p> <p>Eurostat. (2020d). At-risk-of-poverty rate. Database. Available at: <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/product/view/tespm010?lang=en">https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/product/view/tespm010?lang=en</a></p> <p>Eurostat. (2020e). Electricity prices for household consumers - bi-annual data (from 2007 onwards). Database. Available at: <a href="https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=nrg_pc_204&amp;lang=en">https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=nrg_pc_204&amp;lang=en</a></p> <p>Eurostat. (2020f). Gas prices for household consumers - bi-annual data (from 2007 onwards). Database. Available at: <a href="https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=nrg_pc_202&amp;lang=en">https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=nrg_pc_202&amp;lang=en</a></p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-comments--article.html.twig * field--node--field-comments.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-comments.html.twig x field--comment.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <div class="comments_wrapper"> <section class="container"> </section> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-citation-info--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-citation-info field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Citation instruction</div> <div class="field--item"><p>Gouveia and Palma (2021) Affordability of energy for the general population and for specific groups in Portugal, <em>EP-pedia, ENGAGER COST Action.</em></p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> Thu, 28 Jan 2021 07:21:58 +0000 ute.dubois 221 at http://www.eppedia.eu http://www.eppedia.eu/article/affordability-energy-general-population-and-specific-groups-portugal#comments Romania - Consumers' access to affordable energy sources http://www.eppedia.eu/article/romania-consumers-access-affordable-energy-sources <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Romania - Consumers&#039; access to affordable energy sources</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Author</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/sinea-anca" hreflang="en">Sinea Anca</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>ute.dubois</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span>Fri, 01/22/2021 - 20:02</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-affiliation--article.html.twig * field--node--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-affiliation field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Affiliation</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/117" hreflang="en">Center for the Study of Democracy, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (Romania)</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-first-published-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-first-published-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">First published date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2020-12-15T12:00:00Z">2020.12.15</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-last-updated-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-last-updated-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Last updated date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2020-12-15T12:00:00Z">2020.12.15</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-theme--article.html.twig * field--node--field-theme.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-theme.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-theme field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Theme</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/68" hreflang="en">Affordability</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/70" hreflang="en">Connection to electricity grid</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/80" hreflang="en">Access to energy</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-download--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-download.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-download.html.twig * field--file.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-download field--type-file field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Article download</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'file_link' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf icon-before"><span class="file-icon"><span class="icon glyphicon glyphicon-file text-primary" aria-hidden="true"></span></span><span class="file-link"><a href="http://www.eppedia.eu/sites/default/files/2021-01/Sinea_2020_Romania_consumers%20access%20to%20affordable%20energy%20sources_EP-pedia.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=273939" title="Open file in new window" target="_blank">Sinea_2020_Romania_consumers access to affordable energy sources</a></span><span class="file-size">267.52 KB</span></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-page-elements--article.html.twig * field--node--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--entity-reference-revisions.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-page-elements field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><h2><strong>Perspective on the topic in the policy debate</strong></h2> <p class="Body">In Romania access to affordable energy is a question of purchasing power of the population, of overall realisation of social justice of the bureaucratic process involved and of the availability of fuels.</p> <p class="Body">According to Eurostat, final energy prices in Romania were much lower than the EU average, both on gas and on electricity. Romania had the lowest average price on gas in the EU with an estimated 0.033 EUR/kWh (Eurostat, 2020) and the eighth lowest average price on electricity (0.1421 EUR/kWh) (Eurostat, 2020) for household consumers during the second half of 2019. However, the purchasing power of the population was over 20% below the EU average in 2019 (Eurostat, 2020), whereas the distribution of wealth is among the most unequal in the EU with a Gini coefficient of 31.5 in 2018 (Eurostat, 2020). Despite overall improvement of the situation over the years, especially after joining the EU, the affordability issue remained not mainly price-focused, but rather an issue concerning income and social justice.</p> <p class="Body">Physical access to diversified and accessible sources of energy - that is, the number of options a household has available and is able choose from at reasonable prices - should be added to the above issues. The electricity grid is most widespread energy option across Romania. Still, there are anywhere between 21 000 and 100 000 households that are not connected to the grid, according to various Government accounts. Data derived from the latest census in 2011 shows that 3.4% of all households (i.e. 207 434 households) have no electrical system installed. There have been at least three Government attempts to measure more precisely the extent of this issue and to advance legislation to remedy the situation. However, estimates remain uncertain, and the evaluation processes have not been completed. Informal access to electricity is also high. According to some estimates, more than 420 000 households are informally connected to electricity. In this latter situation, gaining formal access to affordable electricity may also improve energy security and safety.</p> <p class="Body">Improving access to electricity was last approached through Government action in 2006, when the last electrification programme was adopted, but this programme was not followed through. In 2012 another public debate was launched on the topic with similar results. In 2017 a feasibility study for an electrification programme was initiated through Norwegian funds. Its outcomes remain uncertain (Sinea, Murafa, &amp; Jiglau, 2018). A renewable energy strategies (RES) roll-out programme was launched in April 2019 to target more than 7 000 households who were at least 2000 meters from an electricity distribution network and sometimes much more isolated. The application process was rendered difficult by the local authorities who did not manage to submit the applications in time (Vasalca, 2019).</p> <p class="Body">Access to gas is much more limited than for electricity. Based on the results of the national census, approximately 33% of households use gas from the gas grid. Gas mainly covers high density urban areas, with most rural households being quite limited to the usage of wood. In rural areas 82% of the population uses wood for heating, whereas only 12% of the homes in the urban areas use firewood for the same purpose. Overall, 10% of Romanian households combine wood with gas when heating their homes (Fonduri-Structurale.ro, 2019).</p> <p class="Body">The wood market is under-regulated and extremely volatile, which makes wood prices soar especially during winter. Based on a comparative study, it was concluded that under typical conditions the price difference between wood and gas is slight when considering a standard room temperature, wood being comparatively cheaper per kWh. However, due to the situation of the wood market, the price of wood can easily surpass that of gas in some situations and regions. In the absence of alternative options, households are constrained to use this more expensive and less efficient fuel to heat their homes and cook (Jiglau, Sinea, &amp; Murafa, 2018).</p> <p class="Body">The issue regarding the price of wood comes up every winter in the mass media, being only addressed marginally in terms of Government action, mainly through social policies and together with other fossil fuels. In this respect the number of recipients for heating benefits for wood and other fuels were slightly increased in 2018 and again in 2020 through legislation (Dragoi, 2020). But wood market-related regulations are absent. For that matter, in 2015 EU issued an infringement procedure for the mismanagement of forestlands in Romania, which resulted in tougher market regulations and the doubling of the wood prices for household consumers (Ronkov, 2016).</p> <p class="Body">Access to energy has, however, come up in the media at times, mostly in the context of development disparities in Romania and the lack of convergence with living standards in the Western Member States. The national energy strategy draft issued in 2016 points out the deficient access of rural households to diverse sources of energy and the need to invest in suitable solutions, such as the expansion of the gas network to areas lacking it (Guvernul Romaniei, Ministerul Energiei, 2016).The issue of access to gas first entered the public agenda in 2018, on the sidelines of the more politically relevant topic of the deep sea gas resources discovered in the Black Sea and within the nationalist discourse of the then-governing Social-Democratic Party invoking the entitlement of the population to their own national resources (Petrescu). In August 2020, in the context of energy market liberalisation, the succeeding Liberal government put forward a proposal to develop the natural gas distribution network and to double the number of household that can access gas within the following four years (Botea, 2020). In October 2020 the National Energy Market Regulator (ANRE) adopted a decision to waive gas connection fees for all consumers (Deacu, 2020). The measure was supported by analyses pointing out the excessively high connection fees, which limited access to energy for many households in the country. Considerations on the topic have been made by the Energy Policy Group (EPG), an independent energy think tank, in 2018. EPG recommended <em>inter alia</em> the cancellations of connection fees for energy poor households (Iuga &amp; Dudau, 2018). The most in-depth analysis on this situation has been undertaken by the Center for the Study of Democracy of the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca in 2018, which explored several dimensions of the lack of access to gas and put forth a number of solutions (Jiglau, Sinea, &amp; Murafa, 2018). Nonetheless, due to their blanket application, both of the above-described measures have been highly criticised for not giving due regard to the economic efficiency principle (Economica.net, 2020).</p> <p class="Default">District heating is marginal in residential use in Romania as it services 2% of households. Its importance is in decline due to the technical, administrative and economic issues faced by this system (oversizing, obsolete technology, high losses and inefficiencies, debts and bankruptcies, poor services, etc.). The Bucharest district heating supply system is a good example of the troubled situation in the region, where high politicisation has led to high inefficiencies, rendering the second largest district heating system in Europe (after Moscow) in a situation of unsustainability and more than one million consumers in a situation of vulnerability (Jiglau et al., 2020).</p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-references--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-references paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-references.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">References</div> <div class="field--item"><p class="Body">Botea, R. (2020, August 3). Guvernul vrea să investească 800 mil. euro în 7 ani pentru extinderea reţelei de gaze în România. Doar 35% dintre locuinţele din România sunt racoradate la reţeaua de gaze. pp. <a href="https://www.zf.ro/companii/energie/guvernul-vrea-sa-investeasca-800-mil-euro-in-7-ani-pentru-extinderea-19459320">https://www.zf.ro/companii/energie/guvernul-vrea-sa-investeasca-800-mil-euro-in-7-ani-pentru-extinderea-19459320</a>.</p> <p class="Body">Deacu, E. (2020, October 13). Racordarea la gaze va fi de-acum înainte gratuită. Şi nu prea. Milioane de români vor suporta gratuitatea pentru câţiva Citeste mai mult: adev.ro/qi4d8k. Adevarul, pp. <a href="https://adevarul.ro/economie/stiri-economice/racordarea-gaze-de-acum-gratuita-Si-nu-prea-1_5f84912b5163ec4271d02074/index.html">https://adevarul.ro/economie/stiri-economice/racordarea-gaze-de-acum-gr…</a>.</p> <p class="Body">Dragoi, V. (2020, Ianuarie 22). Cine va primi ajutor social în 2020. Despre ce sume este vorba. Capital, pp. <a href="https://www.capital.ro/cine-va-primi-ajutor-social-in-2020-despre-ce-sume-este-vorba.html">https://www.capital.ro/cine-va-primi-ajutor-social-in-2020-despre-ce-su…</a>.</p> <p class="Body">Economica.net. (2020, Sept 24). Extinderea reţelei de gaze va duce la creşterea tarifelor pentru consumatori - directorul executiv ACUE <a href="https://www.economica.net/extinderea-retelei-de-gaze-va-duce-la-cresterea-tarifelor-pentru-consumatori-directorul-executiv-acue_190326.html">https://www.economica.net/extinderea-retelei-de-gaze-va-duce-la-crester…</a> Informaţi. Economica.net, pp. <a href="https://www.economica.net/extinderea-retelei-de-gaze-va-duce-la-cresterea-tarifelor-pentru-consumatori-directorul-executiv-acue_190326.html">https://www.economica.net/extinderea-retelei-de-gaze-va-duce-la-crester…</a>.</p> <p class="Body">Eurostat. (2020). Electricity price statistics. Retrieved from Eurostat: <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Electricity_price_statistics">https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Electricit…</a></p> <p class="Body">Eurostat. (2020, June 18). First estimates of Purchasing Power Parities for 2019 Wide variation of consumption per capita across EU Member States GDP per capita ranged from 53% to 261% of EU average. Retrieved from Eurostat Newsrelease: <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/11005802/2-18062020-AP-EN.pdf/2469350f-ca14-6809-9a72-a4814893dcf2">https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/11005802/2-18062020-AP-…</a></p> <p class="Body">Eurostat. (2020, December 18). Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income - EU-SILC survey. Retrieved from Eurostat: <a href="http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_di12">http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=ilc_di12</a></p> <p class="Body">Eurostat. (2020). Natural gas price statistics. Retrieved from Eurostat: <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Natural_gas_price_statistics">https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Natural_ga…</a></p> <p class="Body">Fonduri-Structurale.ro. (2019, Iulie 2). Fonduri-Structurale.ro. Retrieved from Nicio cerere pentru subvențiile destinate instalării de panouri fotovoltaice la gospodăriile izolate. AFM va prelungi termenul de înscriere: <a href="https://www.fonduri-structurale.ro/stiri/22182/nicio-cerere-pentru-subventiile-destinate-instalarii-de-panouri-fotovoltaice-la-gospodariile-izolate-afm-va-prelungi-termenul-de-inscriere">https://www.fonduri-structurale.ro/stiri/22182/nicio-cerere-pentru-subv…</a></p> <p class="Body">Guvernul Romaniei, Ministerul Energiei. (2016). Strategia Energetică a României 2016-2030, cu perspectiva anului 2050. Retrieved from Ministerul Mediului: <a href="http://www.mmediu.gov.ro/app/webroot/uploads/files/2017-03-02_Strategia-Energetica-a-Romaniei-2016-2030.pdf">http://www.mmediu.gov.ro/app/webroot/uploads/files/2017-03-02_Strategia…</a></p> <p class="Body">Iuga, V., &amp; Dudau, R. (2018, July 19). The Outlook for natural gas in Romania and proposals for its value-added capitalization. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.enpg.ro/report-the-outlook-for-natural-gas-in-romania-and-proposals-for-its-value-added-capitalization/">https://www.enpg.ro/report-the-outlook-for-natural-gas-in-romania-and-p…</a></p> <p class="Body">Jiglau, G., Sinea, A., &amp; Murafa, C. (2018). Oportunitatea gazelor naturale în sectorul rezidențial din România. Cluj-Napoca: Centrul pentru Studiul Democratiei.</p> <p class="Body">Petrescu, R. (n.d.). România se pregăteşte de exportul de gaze, dar numai 20% din localităţi au acces la distribuţie. Ziarul Financiar, pp. <a href="https://www.zf.ro/companii/energie/romania-se-pregateste-de-exportul-de-gaze-dar-numai-20-din-localitati-au-acces-la-distributie-17121653">https://www.zf.ro/companii/energie/romania-se-pregateste-de-exportul-de…</a>.</p> <p class="Body">Ronkov, L. (2016, Nov. 18). Preţul lemnelor de foc s-a dublat din cauza măsurilor cerute de Uniunea Europeană. Banatul azi!, pp. <a href="http://www.banatulazi.ro/pretul-lemnelor-de-foc-s-a-dublat-din-cauza-masurilor-cerute-de-uniunea-europeana/">http://www.banatulazi.ro/pretul-lemnelor-de-foc-s-a-dublat-din-cauza-ma…</a>.</p> <p class="Body">Sinea, A., Murafa, C., &amp; Jiglau, G. (2018). Energy Poverty and the Vulnerable Consumer in Romania and Europe. Cluj-Napoca: Presa Universitara Clujeana.</p> <p class="Body">Vasalca, T. (2019, 07 1). Nicio cerere pentru subvențiile destinate instalării de panouri fotovoltaice la gospodăriile izolate. AFM va prelungi termenul de înscriere. News Energy.</p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-comments--article.html.twig * field--node--field-comments.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-comments.html.twig x field--comment.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <div class="comments_wrapper"> <section class="container"> </section> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-citation-info--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-citation-info field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Citation instruction</div> <div class="field--item"><p>Sinea, A. (2020). Romania - Consumers' access to affordable energy sources. <em>EP-pedia, ENGAGER COST Action.</em></p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> Fri, 22 Jan 2021 20:02:02 +0000 ute.dubois 220 at http://www.eppedia.eu http://www.eppedia.eu/article/romania-consumers-access-affordable-energy-sources#comments Affordability of energy for specific groups of people (Roma community) in Slovakia http://www.eppedia.eu/article/affordability-energy-specific-groups-people-roma-community-slovakia <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Affordability of energy for specific groups of people (Roma community) in Slovakia</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Author</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/authors/dokupilova-dusana" hreflang="en">Dokupilova Dusana </a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>ute.dubois</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span>Fri, 01/22/2021 - 08:50</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-affiliation--article.html.twig * field--node--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-affiliation.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-affiliation field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Affiliation</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/118" hreflang="en">Slovak Academy of Sciences (Slovakia)</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-first-published-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-first-published-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-first-published-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">First published date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-01-22T12:00:00Z">2021.01.22</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-last-updated-date--article.html.twig * field--node--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-last-updated-date.html.twig * field--datetime.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-last-updated-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Last updated date</div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-01-22T12:00:00Z">2021.01.22</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-theme--article.html.twig * field--node--field-theme.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-theme.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-theme field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Theme</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/68" hreflang="en">Affordability</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/70" hreflang="en">Connection to electricity grid</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/69" hreflang="en">Roma communities</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3" hreflang="en">Policy</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-download--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-download.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-download.html.twig * field--file.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-download field--type-file field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Article download</div> <div class="field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'file_link' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf icon-before"><span class="file-icon"><span class="icon glyphicon glyphicon-file text-primary" aria-hidden="true"></span></span><span class="file-link"><a href="http://www.eppedia.eu/sites/default/files/2021-01/Dukopilova_2021_Affordability%20for%20specific%20groups%20of%20people_Roma_EP-pedia.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=107873" title="Open file in new window" target="_blank">Dukopilova_2021_Affordability for specific groups of people_Roma_EP-pedia.pdf</a></span><span class="file-size">105.34 KB</span></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/file-link.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-page-elements--article.html.twig * field--node--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-page-elements.html.twig * field--entity-reference-revisions.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-page-elements field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-text-block--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig * paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-text-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-text-block.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><h2><strong>Perspective on affordability of energy for Roma community in the policy debate of Slovakia</strong></h2> <p>The change of the system (rejection of communism) in 1989 broke the set up the Roma were used to. Before 1989 employment was mandatory: each citizen of active age in the country had to work – the Roma too. After the revolution and transformation of the economy, including the breakup of many factories, the majority of the Roma lost their jobs. They found themselves in the situation with no money and in poverty. Now, more than 30 years after change of the system from communist one, the majority of Roma live on social benefits with no permanent job (Filčák,2020).</p> <p>Since 200, there is a special state organisation dedicated to supporting the Roma community – the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (Urad), part of the Ministry of the Interior. This Office is interested and involved in most government actions connected to Roma community. It analyses the situation of these communities, supports actions (even financially), and solves problem situations. Two of the biggest problems the Roma face are access to sanitation and to electricity (Filcak, 2020).</p> <p>The majority of the Slovak population blame Roma for laziness and unwillingness to work. The overall attitude toward the Roma community is very negative especially because most Roma are not working, but instead living from social benefits coming from state budget.</p> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Research perspective on affordability of energy for Roma community in Slovakia</strong></h2> <p>Roma is a special community in Slovakia. The number of Roma inhabitants is not clear. On the basis of the last extensive survey Atlas Rómskych komunít prepared in 2019 (Atlas 2019) they form almost 8% of Slovak population. But the number is expected to be even higher because in surveys, a lot of the Roma do not indicate themselves as being members of Roma community but change it to something else like Slovak or Hungarian nationality (Atlas 2019).</p> <p>The biggest problem with affordability of energy for Roma community is based on the location of their dwellings. In many cases these dwellings are built on land they do not own and without the approval of the landowner. In such a case their dwellings cannot be officially proclaimed to be suitable for living, since an agreement with the landowner is necessary for this status. Without this documentation, the building cannot be connected to the electric network (Filčák, 2020).</p> <p>A second cause is the situation when the dwellings are built far from the nearest villages with no existing electricity connections. In this case, even if the dwelling were built with the landowner's approval, the household cannot afford to connect to electricity network. The costs for connecting far away dwelling to electric network is extremely high and is not paid by the distribution companies. For Roma - usually living from social benefits - it is thus impossible to connect to electricity because the initial costs for new build long distance connections are extremely high.</p> <p>The third and the most common cause for why Roma are not connected to electricity is shortage of money for regular payments for electricity supply. This is the case even for the communities living in the areas where an electrical network is available (Dokupilova,2020). Many distribution companies offer pre-paid usage of electricity which helps to solve the problems of affordability of energy and energy poverty.</p> <p>These three causes form the gap between the availability of electricity and the real use among Roma. Due to the last survey (Atlas 2019) 97% of Roma have electricity available but only 83% really use it.</p> <p>Further data can be drawn from the special EU SILC (EU SILC MRK) statistical survey, which was carried out only in marginalized Roma communities in 2018. Based on the analysis of EU SILC MRK data, the following key findings can be formulated (Dokupilová, 2020):</p> <ul> <li>25% of marginalised Roma communities (MRC) households cannot afford to maintain a reasonable temperature in their home – whether sufficiently warm in winter or sufficiently cool in summer. Of these, 48% of households live in detached, mostly brick, family houses and 23% in shacks.</li> <li>11.8% of MRC households report housing costs higher than 40% of net disposable income.</li> <li>16.8% of MRC households repeatedly had arrears for services – electricity, gas, water.</li> <li>34% of MRC households are dwellings that are not suitable for healthy living – they show signs of humidity. Of these, 45% are detached houses, while 45% of their inhabitants are also their owners. In 21% of cases, they live in rented premises and in 30% of cases the accommodation is provided free of charge.</li> <li>45.7% of MRC households are in material need.</li> <li>The problem is also the poor quality of electrical installation, which is declared by 12.7% of households from MRC, while 7% of households do not even have any electricity distribution.</li> <li>The source of heating is mostly an oven or stove – in 83% of households. This is despite the fact that most live in brick houses. Similarly, stoves or ovens are also a source of hot water. More than 50% of households from MRC use this option. Only 33% of households use an electric heater to heat hot water.</li> </ul></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph--pb_text_block.html.twig' --> </div> <div class="field--item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'paragraph' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * paragraph--pb-references--default.html.twig * paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * paragraph--default.html.twig x paragraph.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-references paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--paragraph--field-text--pb-references.html.twig * field--paragraph--field-text.html.twig * field--paragraph--pb-references.html.twig * field--field-text.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">References</div> <div class="field--item"><p>Atlas (2019), Atlas rómskych komunít (2019), Ministry of Interior of Slovak Republic, Available at: <a href="https://www.minv.sk/?atlas-romskych-komunit-2019">https://www.minv.sk/?atlas-romskych-komunit-2019</a></p> <p>Dokupilová, D., Gerbery, D., Filčák, R. (2020). Energetická chudoba na Slovensku 2020: Od analýz k odporúčaniam pre verejné politiky. <em>Slovenská klimatická iniciatíva 06, 2020</em>, Available at: <a href="http://www.prog.sav.sk/index.php/energeticka-chudoba-na-slovensku-2020-od-analyz-k-odporucaniam-pre-verejne-politiky">http://www.prog.sav.sk/index.php/energeticka-chudoba-na-slovensku-2020-od-analyz-k-odporucaniam-pre-verejne-politiky</a></p> <p>EU SILC MRK, Available at: <a href="https://www.minv.sk/?zber-dat-od-ministerstiev-a-ostatnych-organov-statnej-a-verejnej-spravy">https://www.minv.sk/?zber-dat-od-ministerstiev-a-ostatnych-organov-statnej-a-verejnej-spravy</a></p> <p>Filčák, R. , Škobla, D., Dokupilová, D. (2020). <em>Ensuring Access to Sanitation Infrastructure : Roma settlements and structural inequalities in Slovakia. (In Slovak) </em>Available at: <a href="http://www.prog.sav.sk/index.php/vybavenost-kanalizaciou-v-romskych-osadach-ako-sa-na-slovensku-prejavuju-strukturalne-nerovnosti">http://www.prog.sav.sk/index.php/vybavenost-kanalizaciou-v-romskych-osadach-ako-sa-na-slovensku-prejavuju-strukturalne-nerovnosti</a></p> <p>Urad. Úrad splnomocnenca vlády pre rómske komunity. Available at: <a href="https://www.minv.sk/?ulohy_usvrk">https://www.minv.sk/?ulohy_usvrk</a></p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/paragraph.html.twig' --> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-comments--article.html.twig * field--node--field-comments.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-comments.html.twig x field--comment.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <div class="comments_wrapper"> <section class="container"> </section> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/epptheme/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-article-citation-info--article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--field-article-citation-info.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-article-citation-info field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field--label">Citation instruction</div> <div class="field--item"><p>Dukopilova, D. (2021) Affordability of energy for specific groups of people (Roma community) in Slovakia, <em>EP-pedia, ENGAGER COST Action.</em></p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> Fri, 22 Jan 2021 08:50:45 +0000 ute.dubois 216 at http://www.eppedia.eu http://www.eppedia.eu/article/affordability-energy-specific-groups-people-roma-community-slovakia#comments