Centre for Alleviating Energy Poverty launch event discusses solutions to help energy poor amid rising prices   

Energy poverty is a prevailing problem in the Energy Community Contracting Parties and needs to be placed at the forefront of efforts to ensure a just and inclusive energy transition. Addressing energy poverty is at the centre of the Energy Community’s Just Transition Initiative and the newly created Centre for Alleviating Energy Poverty started its mission to promote solutions for its reduction. 

At the first workshop organized under the umbrella of the Centre on 10 June, Contracting Party and EU stakeholders discussed how to tackle energy poverty in the current situation of high energy prices and supply concerns. Participants exchanged experiences on currently implemented short-term and long-term measures to address rising energy prices and the needs of the energy poor and vulnerable consumers.

While acknowledging that unprecedentedly high energy prices fuel inflation and affect predominantly the poor, the workshop participants highlighted that any measure taken should not be detrimental to decarbonization and market reform efforts. Moreover, the policies and measures employed to mitigate energy poverty should be well targeted to those in need, efficient and effective.

The Secretariat invited the Contracting Parties and all interested stakeholders of the region to actively cooperate with the Centre for Alleviating Energy Poverty. In this context, a guidance on energy poverty, focusing on the identification of indicators and policies and measures for addressing energy poverty, will be sent to stakeholders for consultation this summer.