Report on updating the energy poverty and energy efficiency framework in rural areas across the EU: Deliverable 2.1 RENOVERTY project

Energy poverty is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon caused by various factors. It is defined as a situation in which households are unable to access essential energy services and products. Despite widespread recognition and discussion of the topic, there are still several gaps in knowledge and practice. One aspect of energy poverty that remains largely unexplored in Europe is rural energy poverty, receiving limited attention despite being more prevalent than in urban contexts. Additionally, in the pursuit of a clean and just transition, rural areas in Europe are often left behind, even though rural populations are at a significantly higher risk of facing poverty and social exclusion. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Southern Eastern Europe (SEE), and Southern Europe (SE) countries, where populations are more susceptible to energy poverty. This report follows a multi-step approach with the objective of addressing this gap and upgrading the framework on rural and peri-urban energy poverty. It consists of a summary of extensive desk research in which more than 80 relevant scientific and grey literature sources are analysed to review current knowledge and practices in energy poverty research and policy in rural and peri-urban areas. The outcomes of the literature review were utilised to formulate an online survey of relevant stakeholders to obtain broader insights into existing needs and barriers, as well as proposed solutions for the implementation of policies for energy efficiency in vulnerable rural and peri-urban areas. The acquired insights feed into the development of the Composite Energy & Transport Poverty Indicator (CEPTI) to provide a practical tool for identifying areas more highly exposed to energy poverty and offering an approximation of the experience of those affected by energy and transport poverty. Furthermore, a set of energy audits was conducted in the pilot regions of RENOVERTY to identify the distinct characteristics of dwellings found within rural and peri-urban areas of Europe. This document presents the main outcomes of RENOVERTY activities which aim to provide a robust, holistic and up-to-date framing of rural energy poverty in the European Union (EU). This information informs relevant stakeholders regarding the specific characteristics of rural areas when it comes to energy efficiency and energy poverty and assists subsequent activities of the project that seek to enhance the uptake of energy efficiency and address energy poverty in rural contexts.