The analysis indicates that vulnerable households are disproportionately exposed to poor insulation, inefficient heating systems and inadequate thermal comfort. It also identifies characteristics of the existing housing stock that contribute to poor energy performance, including single-glazed windows and lower Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings. In 2023 alone, 31.3% of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion lived in dwellings that were not comfortably warm during winter, while 6.2% had no heating system. 

These findings underline the importance of directing renovation interventions towards the worst-performing residential buildings and vulnerable households, linking improvements in the technical performance of buildings with efforts to reduce household exposure to high energy costs and inadequate indoor thermal conditions.

The report also considers the policy framework established by the Energy Efficiency Directive and the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive including provisions requiring Member States to address vulnerable households through financial support schemes, tackle split incentives and incorporate relevant measures into their National Building Renovation Plans. Read more on BUILD UP.

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