On behalf of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), we conducted a study on gender-disaggregated data on energy poverty. This was published in the form of a report entitled “Study on gender-disaggregated data on energy poverty” at the beginning of May 2024.

Broadly speaking, the study aims to identify and understand the structural mechanisms that cause energy poverty and to highlight its gender-specific dimensions. It also points out and addresses the current lack of gender disaggregated data at EU and Member State level. The study thus contributes to the development of inclusive and effective approaches for  groups at risk of energy poverty.

Research structure

In the study, we analyse energy poverty using an intersectional approach, understanding energy poverty as an expression of existing gender-specific inequalities, gender roles and the resulting division of tasks. To investigate the issues, we first conducted a literature and policy analysis at EU and Member State level. Building on this, we conducted our own qualitative research based on 33 semi-structured interviews in the research countries Lithuania, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Croatia, the Republic of Cyprus and Bulgaria. Within the research period, we conducted three field visits to Bulgaria, Spain and Germany and, in addition to the interviews, attended an event on energy poverty and intersectionality.

Results

Based on our findings, we can generally state that energy poverty is increasingly being integrated into the decisions of the European Commission and is becoming more and more prevalent in the academic debate. Although the importance of gender-sensitive and intersectional approaches is partially recognised and emphasised by various EU institutions, it is hardly implemented in political decisions. In particular, measures differentiated according to population groups and different marginalisation characteristics as well as gender mainstreaming are hardly or not at all present in the political documents of some of the Member States examined. For example, only the Spanish National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) includes an intersectional and gender-specific approach, while the Republic of Ireland at least considers age and health-related aspects. Other programmes refer, if at all, to “low-income” or “vulnerable” population groups at household level and thus do not do justice to the structural factors that favour energy poverty at individual level.

In order to explore these factors in more depth, we first applied a risk perspective to the study. We investigate the intersectional structures and inequalities that increase the risk of being affected by energy poverty. As gender is not yet widely used category of analysis here, we make intersectional, multidimensional risk factors visible in the study and examine, for example, the influence of age and income inequality and household structure or housing quality on the risk of energy poverty. It turns out that women over the age of 65 and living on a pension are particularly at risk of suffering from energy poverty. Additional to the structural inequalities caused by age, health and low income (caused by historical gender pay and gender pension gap), if we take into account the condition of the buildings, further risk axes become apparent. We complement this analysis in the study with an experiential perspective that aims to explore how those affected experience energy poverty and how intersectionality and traditional gender norms influence this experience. For example, there are gender-specific effects on physical and mental health, but also an exacerbation of inequalities in relation to care work and domestic abuse.

In the study, we pay great attention to our national case studies and provide an introduction to the respective local contexts, political decisions around energy poverty in the respective Member States and the population groups that are disproportionately affected by energy poverty. This section draws heavily on the assessments and experiences from our interviews with experts in the field. Building on this, we formulate a series of recommendations on how to address gender-specific risks of energy poverty – be it in terms of defining and measuring energy poverty, access to financial support or cooperation between different policy areas in strategizing and tackling energy poverty.

You can find the entire study as a PDF here.