ENPOR – Actions to mitigate energy poverty in the private rental sector

ENPOR aims to make energy vulnerability in the private rental sector (PRS) visible by conducting analyses and monitoring the dimensions of energy poverty in the PRS. ENPOR also aims to increase the capacity of decision-makers to understand and mitigate energy poverty in the PRS by adapting and testing energy efficiency support schemes to address energy poverty in the PRS.

The project supports the adaption and implementation of ten policies in 7 member states tailored to the specific needs of the PRS and integrated into broader policy objectives. The project selects existing policies based on their significant contribution to the alleviation of energy poverty until 2030 and their integration into National Energy and Climate Plans. The selection criteria are: urban location, governance arrangements, predominant mode of financing, principal energy supply mode, energy efficiency of the housing stock, and level of political participation.

In detail the project will carry the following activities:

• Examine in-depth energy poverty policies for the PRS across the EU. Create policy factsheets and elaborate policy suggestions with politicians in so-called REACT Groups, involving all local and national stakeholders related to the specific policy.
• Monitor the dimensions of energy poverty in the PRS through the Energy Poverty Dashboard, an online tool developed to map and monitor energy poverty in Europe.
• Support tailored policies and provide guidelines for other countries by organising events for local, regional and national authorities, energy agencies and energy-poor tenants and their landlords.

The project is ongoing and a good example of collaboration in the EU energy poverty domain between landlords and tenants. The overarching aim is to make energy poverty in the private rental sector visible and quantifiable in a more inclusive context, and to support the design and implementation of tailored policies to address it. Local authorities contribute by providing insight into the local communities and their challenges.

COVID-19 has impacted the planning of physical events and the outreach to stakeholders. Local elections in Croatia in 2020/2021 resulted in a lack of interest by local authorities to participate in new projects.

With a budget between 100,000 to 1 million euros, the project aims to:

• Involve at least 5,000 consumers and 320,000 households.
• Establish/adjust 10 policies for energy efficiency and/or small-scale renewable energy investments and to be sustained beyond the period of EU-support.
• Trigger 135.24 GWh/year of primary energy savings.
• Trigger €58.8 million investments in energy retrofits.

The project started in in 2020 and is ongoing.

Main beneficiaries: national/local authorities, policy makers, practitioners, NGOs and citizens.

It addressed the topics of: behaviour, heating and cooling systems, household appliances, coping strategies, indoor comfort, information and awareness, insulation, education, quality of dwellings, energy access and consumption, energy audits, energy efficiency, social support and vulnerable consumers.

The partners of the project: the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy Foundation, Climate Alliance (city network), The University of Manchester, University of Piraeus Research Centre, Drustvo Za Oblikovanje Odrzivog Razvoja , Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving Foundation, Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, L’Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile, Tartu Regional Energy Agency, Austrian Energy Agency, Stichting Hogeschool Utrecht, Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbH, Union Internationale de la Propriete Immobiliere.