Breaking the cycle of energy poverty. Will Poland make it?

Energy poverty is a recognized issue on the EU political agenda, yet relatively little is known about its dynamics. This paper provides new evidence on the profiles of energy-poor households in Poland and the determinants that allow them to escape energy poverty. Our study is the first to assess the persistence of energy poverty in Poland; it examines long-term interactions between energy poverty and poverty. The analysis is based on panel data obtained from the 2014 to 2017 waves of the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions and uses subjective indicators of energy poverty and poverty. The results suggest that energy poverty in Poland is a transitory state which the poor are less likely to escape. Two distinct energy-poverty profiles are identified in the study: 1) middle-aged inhabitants of rural areas who are mostly inactive on the labor market and live in single-family houses; 2) elderly pensioners from urban areas, mostly women who live in old blocks of flats. The determinants of escaping energy poverty are cluster-specific. The findings suggest that energy poverty reduction should be targeted within renovation policy, employment policy, and social assistance. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study provides new evidence on the characteristics of energy-poor households in Poland and the determinants for escaping energy poverty, revealing that energy poverty is a temporary state with lower likelihood of escape for the poor. Two distinct energy-poverty profiles are identified, including middle-aged inhabitants in rural areas and elderly pensioners in urban areas.