Which are the main determinants of energy poverty? A systematic review of the literature
Pablo del Rı́o, Mercedes Burguillo, Christoph P. Kiefer
Abstract
Abstract Mitigation of energy poverty (EP) is a relevant policy goal nowadays for governments worldwide. The determinants of household EP should be identified and analysed in order to design targeted policies for specific groups which mitigate EP effectively and efficiently. The aim of this paper is to identify the most relevant determinants of EP as well as research gaps in the academic literature on those determinants. For this purpose, a systematic review of the literature has been performed. We consider the positive or negative relationship of a specific factor with energy poverty, and also account for the degree of evidence, agreement and statistical significance of a given factor. The results show that many determinants have been considered in the literature, but most articles include a limited number of them. A negative relationship between energy poverty and household income as well as educational level of the household head is found. On the other hand, energy poverty is significantly and positively related to the age of the household head, the size of the household, the age of the dwelling and the employment status of the household members. Furthermore, households who live in a rented house, in a detached dwelling and in dwellings located in rural areas are more likely to be energy poor, when compared to those living in an owned house, flats or urban areas, respectively.