WELLBASED - Improving health, wellbeing and equality by evidenced-based urban policies for tackling energy poverty

WELLBASED objectives are to design, implement and evaluate a comprehensive urban programme to significantly reduce energy poverty and its effects on the citizens health and wellbeing, built on evidence-based approaches in six pilot cities that represent not only different urban realities but also a diverse range of welfare and healthcare models.

The WELLbased team will develop, test and evaluate new innovative health-focused approaches to alleviate energy poverty amongst the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, while promoting energy-efficient behaviours and reducing energy demand in those households. The measures will address this problem both from an individual, i.e. behavioural and a socio-political perspective, i.e. through regulations and urban planning.

With a budget of over 1 million €, the activities carried out by the six pilot cities will include:

• Socio-health energy audits.
• Home improvement measures.
• Empowerment activities for energy poor households.
• Bill support.
• Digitally supported behavioural change.
• Information and awareness-raising campaigns.

These activities will take place against the background of six different health care systems and local assistance models, i.e. the Mediterranean, Anglo-Saxon, Nordic as well as Eastern models.

The project started in 2021 and is ongoing until 2025. It benefits the energy poor, policy maker and addresses the topics of health, indoor comfort (thermal comfort, housing quality), information and awareness, insulation, quality of dwelling, energy access and consumption, energy audits, energy efficiency, smart meters, energy prices, social support and vulnerable consumers.