The reality of energy poverty in our homes
When we talk about modern countries, the concept of energy poverty It seems far away, but nothing could be further from reality, in Spain, family spending cuts are concepts that for many families are intertwined with the reality of their battered economy due to the crisis and circumstances that we never thought would come. According to the third study called “Poverty, vulnerability and energy inequality. New approaches to analysis ”, has been presented by the Environmental Sciences Association (HERE - Spain). More than five million Spaniards have not been able to heat their houses properly.
To be aware of how we are doing, we can identify the following graph of the evolution of AROPE (State Evolution of Poverty and Exclusion)
Among the main conclusions it is highlighted that … "A 11% of households in Spain, 5.1 million people declare themselves unable to keep their home at a suitable temperature at this time of year" or what "It has been a 22% increase in two years in those homes unable to maintain adequate comfort”.
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The report concludes that NOT all autonomous communities are equally vulnerable to this problem. The most affected are;Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla-La Máncha and Murcia are the 4 zones with higher incidence of energy poverty that follow the same trail of 2012. On the other side we find theBasque Country, Principality of Asturias and Community of Madrid.
Significantly at the regional and local level, the new study indicates that up to 21% of Spanish homes are experiencing conditions associated with energy poverty and that 6%, approximately 2.6 million citizens, dedicate more than 15% of their family income to the payment of energy bills that rigorously arrive every month.
Causes of energy poverty
- The reality is that the socioeconomic characterization of households has a strong influence, for example, according to the educational level of the family, almost a third (31%) of the houses that cannot read or write would be classified as households in energy poverty according to the 10% indicator, compared to 7% registered by households with higher education.
- One of the main causes is the employment situation, the unemployment. 21% of unemployed families registered delays in paying bills, compared to 7% of working households.
- The composition of the family; households with the elderly, single-parent families and households with three or more dependent children show higher rates.
- According to the tenure of the house and its regime. Rental homes, and especially those with lower rents, show higher rates compared to property.
- The homes with medical problems are more likely to be in energy poverty situation. In this way, in the year two thousand and fourteen, eighteen percent of households with someone in poor health at home declared it useless to maintain their residence at a suitable temperature, compared to ten percent of households that did not count. with nobody in bad health. Under this indicator, households affected by energy poverty practically double in households that declare to have poor health.
What the ACA and EAPN (European Network to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion) report does not tell… yes:
- Electricity companies carried out more than 500,000 power cuts related to non-payment of electricity bills in homes, 5.9% more than in 2014
- The increase in the electricity bill of around 0.8% during 2015 has not helped either. During the past year, electricity supply cuts due to non-payment of bills increased by 5.9%
- Contradictions between electricity companies. While Iberdrola has seen defaults reduced by 265,175, 21% less than in the previous year, at Endesa cuts have increased by 70%, to 241,306.
Explained in a simple way meaning energy poverty and why it occurs.
Possible solutions to energy poverty
- Promotion of the energy rehabilitation of buildings (See energy efficiency measures) with a focus on energy poverty, as a medium and long-term solution to this problem and as a precautionary measure to reduce the future vulnerability of the population.
- The reformulation of the social bonus to adapt it to the reality of fragile users. Act in the field of supply cuts with legislative changes and expand access to relief funds for the most fragile situations.
- The reform of financing policies in energy efficiency with the intention of favoring, as a priority, fragile homes and those with difficulties to invest in their residence.
- The best use in the field of micro-efficiency.
- Promote training programs aimed at fragile groups on issues of consumption habits and energy efficiency.
- Progress the transfer and use of relevant information for better decision-making, including the collection of official statistics.
When administrations hide the problem under the rug and while, from Europe, the European Parliament has asked this Thursday that «It is guaranteed that throughout the winter period no home is cut off and that the supply is restarted to those that no longer have ". MEPs approved by three hundred and ten votes in favor and seventy-three against and twenty-six abstentions a non-legislative resolution by the Hungarian Tamás Meszerics, which demands a "Moratorium on turning off the heating" (More info HERE)
Access to the report of the Association of Environmental Sciences (ACA - Spain) … HERE
To know many more. The recommended and comprehensive EAPN report. Red Cross continues the series of analyzes on the social vulnerability of the people with whom the Institution works, which also includes energy poverty, a report with very good technical quality … HERE.
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