Assessment of energy poverty in EU countries in 2010-2022

Abstract

The main goal of the paper was to analyze the level of energy poverty in EU countries, with particular emphasis on three years: 2010, 2015 and 2022. The basic definition of energy poverty assumes a situation in which a household is unable to provide for an adequate level of energy services at home. Choice of the time period for the analysis was dictated by the availability of statistical data and, on the other hand, by the desire to analyze the impact of the time factor on the phenomenon under study. The application of the modified TOPSIS method for the construction of synthetic measures, in which common coordinates of the Positive Ideal Solution and Negative Ideal Solution were calculated for all analyzed periods, made it possible to assess the dynamics of the analyzed phenomenon between these periods. The carried out analyses show that EU countries remain differentiated in terms of energy poverty levels, but that this variation has been decreasing over time. This clearly indicates that the level of the examined phenomenon is equalizing in the analyzed group of countries. Particularly important was the improvement in the positions of the member states, whose accession took place after 2004. An in-depth comparative analysis of changes in energy poverty levels between the “new” and “old” member states is the essential added value of this work. Due to the changing geopolitical conditions in Europe and around the world, it should be borne in mind that not only developing countries will face energy shortages. Therefore, the authors believe that it is crucial to commit to political actions and to conduct scientific research on the widest possible use of various types of energy in order to reduce energy poverty.