SAS Prognosticator Calls for Action on Energy Poverty
Slovakia ranks among the European countries with the highest share of household income spent on energy. The situation has been worsening over time – the share of the population living in energy poverty has risen to 18%, as has the share of people unable to sufficiently heat their homes. In the past ten years, this proportion has increased from 18% to 30% among the poorest households and from 6% to 8% in the overall population. According to the broader definition, as many as 330,000 households in Slovakia are affected by energy poverty.
SAS Prognosticator Dušana Dokupilová has prepared a study urging the state to adopt an official definition of energy poverty and to introduce targeted support for the most vulnerable households.
“In Slovakia, every third household below the poverty line cannot maintain adequate warmth in their home. In neighboring countries, the share is significantly lower – 16% in Hungary, 14% in the Czech Republic, 10% in Austria, and 7% in Poland,” notes Dokupilová from the Institute for Forecasting, Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences SAS.
Despite the existence of various support schemes for housing reconstruction, Slovakia has so far not implemented any measures specifically targeting energy-poor households. The main obstacle has been the lack of an official definition of energy poverty, which would help identify the affected households.
“It is urgent to adopt a definition of energy poverty as soon as possible, as it would help address the problem. At the same time, measures must be launched to support vulnerable households threatened by energy poverty, including information campaigns, field-based social assistance, and suitable financial incentives to increase the energy efficiency of households in energy poverty,” Dokupilová emphasizes.
Most Slovaks live in older or non-renovated houses – only 35% of the population resides in fully renovated homes, and just 17% of houses were built after 2001.
“It is important to guide and motivate households to reduce their energy costs – whether by increasing their home’s energy efficiency (insulation, roof replacement, upgrading appliances) or by using energy more wisely. To achieve this, measures must also be introduced that support households in adopting such behavior,” adds Dušana Dokupilová.
This study on energy poverty builds on earlier studies from 2023 and 2024.
More information can be found in the study published on the website of the Institute for Forecasting, CSPS SAS.
Ilustration photo: Matthew Henry/Unsplash