Addressing Energy Poverty in Central and Eastern Europe

Energy powers communities. It keeps homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It fuels agricultural and manufacturing production, generating food, revenue, and jobs. We depend on energy in hospitals and schools to heal and educate communities.

Energy’s presence is not just essential – it’s lifesaving, acting as an engine for economic growth and social development.

 

What is energy poverty?

Energy poverty emerges when families either lack access to modern energy services or allocate a significant portion of their income to energy bills to the point where it harms their health and wellbeing.

In a study from 2022, 41 million EU citizens couldn’t afford proper heating due to the cost-of-living crisis and soaring energy costs.

 

ComActivate Project

Habitat for Humanity, along with its partners, has started a new project to address energy poverty, along with the slow pace of home renovations and high energy costs in Central and Eastern Europe.

Funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme, the ComActivate project will create and promote solutions for apartment buildings to reduce energy poverty and improve energy security. In three municipalities across Bulgaria, Hungary, and Lithuania, this project will include setting up local centers to help energy-poor communities, creating energy plans for neighbourhoods, and building upon partnerships to support these efforts through advocacy and campaigning work. Managers of homeowner associations will also receive training, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to make energy-efficient renovations.

 

 

Zuzana Matusova, Project Leader for Habitat for Humanity International, says, “This project represents a vital step towards creating more sustainable and resilient communities in the face of escalating energy poverty…we aim to develop comprehensive solutions that not only improve energy sufficiency and alleviate poverty, but also ensure a better quality of life for all.”

 

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