Energy precarity in Europe (OpenExp)

This is one of the major findings of the think tank OpenExp in its first Index of Energy Precarity at European level.

Fuel poverty, defined as the inability for a household to meet its heating energy needs due to low income or precarious housing conditions, is traditionally measured using two indicators (the energy effort rate and the feeling of discomfort associated with cold in winter or heat in summer), which are included in this study within a single index to facilitate intra-European comparisons.

The result: the best performances are observed in Sweden, Finland or Denmark. But we also learn that these countries still have a long way to go to reduce summer fuel poverty. While the authors admit that they lack data to measure this often forgotten dimension of fuel poverty, the study at least has the merit of taking it into account. The data can be easily downloaded in excel or pdf format.