In Italy, the Energy Poverty (EP) is defined in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan and, generally, the phenomenon is associated with the occurrence of three conditions: living in energy inefficient homes, having to face high energy prices, and having a low income. However, scholars proposed additional subjective indicators, introducing a fourth factor: the occupants’ behavior. In 2019, the Italian Observatory on Energy Poverty (OIPE) was founded, and on the back, the Observatory of Energy Poverty of the Calabria Region was born in 2020. The regional Observatory has the aim of supporting the national activities by collecting data useful for activating policies and behavioral measures. Moreover, it collaborates with the National Agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development (ENEA) and the social psychology research group of the University of Milan in a joint research "DE-SIGN: Energy in Calabria" that is a part of the National Campaign "Italy in class A" investigating the role of families in energy consumption. The need to study EP in Calabria is evident from the latest OIPE 2023 report, in which emerges that Calabria is the Italian region most exposed to the phenomenon (16.7% of families are in EP). This investigation is organized in two phases: study on demographic, economic, and social aspects of Calabria by elaborating data from regional and national database; presentation of the structure and preliminary results of a questionnaire targeted to collect technical and behavioral variables. The first analysis identified an elevate percentage of unemployment and a scarce diffusion of energy efficiency improvements. The second analysis highlighted a notable discrepancy between how households perceive the importance of energy-saving practices and their actual behaviors. The size of the household is another critical factor, and there is also a clear relationship between energy poverty risk and the presence of structural issues within homes.
Energy poverty in Italy. A survey conducted in the Calabria Region on technical, social and behavioral drivers
De Simone M
Writing – Review & Editing
;Bilotta A.;
2024-01-01
Abstract
In Italy, the Energy Poverty (EP) is defined in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan and, generally, the phenomenon is associated with the occurrence of three conditions: living in energy inefficient homes, having to face high energy prices, and having a low income. However, scholars proposed additional subjective indicators, introducing a fourth factor: the occupants’ behavior. In 2019, the Italian Observatory on Energy Poverty (OIPE) was founded, and on the back, the Observatory of Energy Poverty of the Calabria Region was born in 2020. The regional Observatory has the aim of supporting the national activities by collecting data useful for activating policies and behavioral measures. Moreover, it collaborates with the National Agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development (ENEA) and the social psychology research group of the University of Milan in a joint research "DE-SIGN: Energy in Calabria" that is a part of the National Campaign "Italy in class A" investigating the role of families in energy consumption. The need to study EP in Calabria is evident from the latest OIPE 2023 report, in which emerges that Calabria is the Italian region most exposed to the phenomenon (16.7% of families are in EP). This investigation is organized in two phases: study on demographic, economic, and social aspects of Calabria by elaborating data from regional and national database; presentation of the structure and preliminary results of a questionnaire targeted to collect technical and behavioral variables. The first analysis identified an elevate percentage of unemployment and a scarce diffusion of energy efficiency improvements. The second analysis highlighted a notable discrepancy between how households perceive the importance of energy-saving practices and their actual behaviors. The size of the household is another critical factor, and there is also a clear relationship between energy poverty risk and the presence of structural issues within homes.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
