Portugal plans to end energy poverty by 2050, the main objective of the national strategy published today in Diário da República, which estimates reducing the number of people who are unable to adequately heat their homes to 1% in 20 years.
The National Long-Term Strategy for Combating Energy Poverty (ELPPE) 2023-2050 “has as its main goal to eradicate energy poverty in Portugal by 2050, protecting vulnerable consumers and actively integrating them into the energy and climate transition, which is intended to be fair, democratic and cohesive”, reads the resolution of the Council of Ministers.
He explains that, to this end, ELPPE will be based on four strategic axes of action, including the promotion of energy and environmental sustainability of housing, universal access to essential energy services, integrated territorial action and knowledge and informed action.
Within 20 years, that is, between 2030 and 2050, it is supposed that through the strategy it will be possible to reduce the number of people living in households without the capacity to keep their homes adequately heated by up to 1%, with the estimate being that that this percentage is 10% in 2030 and drops to 5% in 2040.
On the other hand, the population living in housing that is not cool during the summer is expected to be 20% in 2030, to reach the target of 10% in 2040 and drop to 5% in 2050.
The number of people living in houses with problems with infiltration, humidity or rotting elements should also reduce from 20% in 2030, to 10% in 2040, reaching 5% in 2050.
It is also the objective that households whose energy expenditure represents more than 10% of total income decrease from 700 thousand in 2030 to 250 thousand in 2040 and zero in 2050.
The strategy also includes the creation of the National Energy Poverty Observatory, which will have the mission of monitoring the evolution of energy poverty at national level, but also defining new strategic indicators or proposing public policies, as well as promoting decentralized territorial action.
This observatory will be responsible for preparing the respective action plans to combat energy poverty, which should cover the horizons of 2030, 2040 and 2050, and be reviewed every three years.
The observatory should also promote decentralized territorial action in a network with the Citizen Energy Spaces, or implement training actions for national, regional and local, public and private agents involved in implementing the strategy.
It must also identify, characterize and monitor households in a situation of energy poverty, in collaboration with INE or develop campaigns to increase energy literacy appropriate to the profile of households in a situation of energy poverty.
The composition and operation of the observatory is determined by the member of the Government responsible for the energy area and the first action plan must be presented within 30 days.
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