Fuel poverty in Hungary

Fuel poverty in Hungary: a first assessment

The project provides a first evaluation of the extent and nature of fuel poverty in Hungary and seeks to understand the experience of fuel poverty by Hungarian households in connection to the role of utility companies and central and local governments.

More specifically, the project estimates and presents quantitative figures on: 1) proportion of household expenses spent on energy-related bills, per income deciles; 2) excess winter deaths, as it is believed that higher-than-average winter mortality in temperate and cold climates is partially related to low in-house temperatures; and 3) other indicators following a consensual definition of fuel poverty. When possible, comparison with similar indicators estimated in other EU or CEE countries in the region is also provided.

Additionally, the project presents the main findings of several interviews with fuel-poor households and relevant actors that, through selected case studies, help to realize how people actually experience an inadequate access to energy services. The final output also includes a final section with key messages (conclusions and recommendations).

Key outputs:

Report with main findings (figures and case studies) and key messages (conclusions and recommendations), available for download below.

Journal articles:

Trapped in the heat: the post-communist genre of fuel poverty

Authors: Sergio Tirado Herrero, Diana Ürge-Vorsatz

Paper submitted to an Energy Policy special issue on fuel poverty – feedback appreciated

Building synergies between climate change mitigation and energy poverty alleviation

Authors: Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Sergio Tirado Herrero.

Paper submitted to an Energy Policy special issue on fuel poverty – feedback appreciated