Energy poverty will exceed 10% of homes in 2021, despite measures to cope with the increase in electricity production
The rise in energy prices experienced by Spaniards since the summer of last year has led 14.3% of households to use appliances to heat up in winter or cool down in summer so strongly reduced that they could not keep these in the minimal conditions that reside . In concrete terms, there were 6.7 million families who could not keep their homes at a sufficient temperature.
The increase in electricity is noticeable in the habits of citizens who, apart from efficient use or moderate energy savings, have led them to disconnect the appliances they use regularly. If the voucher is priceless, they immediately choose not to use the lamp anymore. That 14% rate has doubled from 2019 data and has grown by four percentage points since the first year of the pandemic. According to the Energy Poverty Report prepared by the President of Energy and Poverty of the Pontifical University of Comillas, it has done so while prices have been rising.
This research shows that two million households (10.3%) in Spain in 2021 suffered from severe hidden energy poverty. These are families that spend less than a quarter of what they really need to meet their energy needs.
As the chair of Energy and Poverty concludes, without the measures taken by the cabinet, such as the ‘social shield’, the serious hidden energy poverty would have reached an additional 200,000 homes by 2021. Asked about this conclusion, Efraím Centeno, director of the chair of energy and poverty at the Pontifical University of Comillas, explains that “a great effort” has been made and that the response has been “very fast” and “adequate” in the sense prevent power outages.
On the other hand, the data from this study indicate that in 2021, 4.5 million people (9.5% of the population compared to 6.6% in 2020 and 6.6% in 2019) did not pay their energy bills by date. These bill payment delays are “stagnant” compared to 2020, while the percentage of homes maintaining an inadequate temperature rose nearly four points, i.e. 1.6 million more people compared to 2020 and double compared to 2019.
With regard to the indicators of inadequate temperature and hidden energy poverty, the researcher Centeno has emphasized that they show “a very clear deterioration” and he has especially pointed out that the data on hidden energy poverty are, in his opinion, “worrying”. “This data really requires a response and concrete actions,” he said.
In addition, researchers have verified that nearly three million households have a percentage of energy consumption on their net income that is more than double that of an “average home” and that 2.7 million households are in a situation of energy poverty, if we assume an absolute threshold based on a standard minimum income, in particular the SMI.
These figures represent an average reduction of 1.5% compared to the situation discovered by the President in 2020. The data also shows that nearly 3.3 million households spent a disproportionate amount of their income on covering their energy bills.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
