21st Lunch Talk: Equity and Vulnerability in Energy Poverty – Europe’s Hidden Inequalities

Energy poverty remains a persistent challenge across the EU, shaped by income constraints, inefficient housing and rising energy costs. Recent European assessments indicate that 8–16% of the population experience some form of energy poverty.

Vulnerability is diverse, dynamic and often hidden. Beyond income, factors such as age, health, disability, tenancy status and housing conditions, migration background, education, digital access and social isolation shape both exposure to energy hardship and the ability to respond.

Across Europe, the manifestations differ but share a common thread: some households face barriers to affordable energy and to participating in the clean transition. Many hard-to-reach households remain underserved by mainstream schemes because of lower capacity to act – limited access to information, digital skills, social networks or financial resources – even in similar building conditions.

Building on insights from the EPAH 3rd Practitioners’ Event “Vulnerability and Equity in the Context of Energy Poverty in Central and Northern Europe”, this Lunch Talk explores how applying an equity lens can strengthen local and European responses, calling for people-focused measures that connect energy, housing and social policy to ensure a just, inclusive transition.

Speakers:

• Representative from the EPAH Austrian Antenna (tbc), “Key highlights from the EPAH 3rd Practitioners’ Event – Vulnerability and Equity in the Context of Energy Poverty in Central and Northern Europe.”
• Professor Stefan Bouzarovski, Professor of Human Geography, University of Manchester, “The Hidden Labour of Energy Injustice Struggles”, – exploring the often invisible everyday work, particularly within the third sector, that underpins efforts to tackle energy poverty and respond to the ongoing energy crisis and wider climate mitigation challenges.

The EPAH Lunch Talks are a bi-monthly series of webinars that provide municipalities, civil society, and other key stakeholders across Europe with a platform to share practical experiences and strategies to tackle energy poverty.