Energy poverty (social policy)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Energy poverty is a term from social policy and describes the connection between poverty and the cost of energy . On the one hand, he describes the rising energy costs as a risk of poverty and, on the other hand, the difficulties of the poor in industrialized countries in being able to pay the rising energy costs.

Germany

In Germany, too, as in other industrialized countries, there is now a discussion about energy poverty.

definition

So far there is no fixed definition for energy poverty in Germany. A definition of energy poverty commonly used in Great Britain can be used as a preliminary guide. A household there is considered to be low in energy if it has to spend more than ten percent of its income on buying energy in order to guarantee 21 degrees Celsius in the main living room and 18 degrees Celsius in the other rooms.

causes

There are essentially four causes of energy poverty: the poor financial situation of the households concerned, the energy standard of the residential buildings and the use of household appliances, inefficient behavior and rising energy prices.

poverty

The central cause of energy poverty is poverty itself. Only in households with low incomes can the costs of electricity and gas become a factor that threatens their very existence. In Germany, people are considered poor if they are dependent on social assistance or unemployment benefit II, are often over-indebted or live in precarious employment close to the poverty line. The problem is that the lower wages have fallen in price-adjusted terms. The income spread has increased, according to the draft of the fourth poverty and wealth report of the federal government from 2012. According to calculations by the German Institute for Economic Research, the bottom 40 percent of full-time employees recorded real wage losses, while the development at the upper end of the distribution was particularly favorable. The Institute of Economic and Social Sciences also shows with its calculations that real wages fell by 1.8 percent between 2000 and 2012. Only the collectively agreed wages have developed positively.

Rising energy prices

A key factor for the emergence and development of energy poverty is the level of energy prices . In the last few years there has been a significant price increase for all energy sources on the global energy markets. As a result, the secondary energy sources used by private households have also become more expensive, a development that is likely to continue over the next few years. Those who have to spend more on heating, hot water, lighting and the operation of the fridge and TV have less money left for food, clothing or education.

Compared to nominal wages, the prices for electricity, gas and heating oil have risen much faster than incomes. The increase is well above the inflation rate. The development of oil prices is particularly striking. In 2012, a record high was reached in heating oil prices in many regions of Germany, with prices between 85 and 95 euros for a standard delivery (100 liters) being observed across the board. Ten years ago the average price was 35 euros. Oil heating systems also show a trend towards increasing operating costs. By 2020, fuel costs are expected to increase by 50% compared to 2012. Costs are forecast to double in 2030. Several million households are therefore threatened with energy poverty due to increased heating oil prices. Electricity prices have also risen massively in Germany since the turn of the millennium. In addition to the energy transition with an increased EEG surcharge and the increase in electricity tax, the increase in the price of fossil fuels until 2013 had an impact here. Poor households in Germany spend around 12% of their income on energy, including around 4% on electricity.

Building condition, household appliances, routines

In the UK, the Environment Department has officially highlighted the close link between inefficient building stock and low income. In Germany too, energy poverty arises particularly where unrenovated old buildings are inhabited by households with low incomes. One reason for this is that the social welfare authorities usually only pay particularly low rental costs. Among the apartments that the authorities consider to be »appropriate«, an above-average number are in poor condition. Typical are simple buildings from the 1950s that have not been thoroughly modernized since, or those from the early days in parts of the city with a great need for modernization. In addition, the respective location of the apartment in the building has a significant impact on energy consumption. The heat requirement of a corner apartment under the roof can be 40 percent higher than that of an apartment in the middle of the same building. If the neighboring apartment is empty, more must be heated.

Experience shows that poor households rarely have efficient electrical devices. Compared to a modern, economical model, a 20 year old refrigerator can easily cost more than 100 euros a year in additional electricity; The same applies to freezers, tumble dryers and other large appliances. There is usually not enough money for new equipment, and when it is unavoidable, used equipment is bought. This is how energy poverty manifests itself in the »equipment park«.

However, the technical standard is only one parameter. User behavior is just as important for electricity and heating requirements. Different heating and ventilation habits can cause energy consumption differences of up to 50 percent in identical apartments with the same technical equipment. For an average household, the savings potential through energy-conscious user behavior is ten percent - for example, by reducing the room temperature. Every degree Celsius saved saves six percent on heating costs. It is also beneficial to lower the temperature by five degrees at night and not to adjust the radiator with furniture.

Legal situation in Germany

If a customer is in arrears with at least 100.00 euros , the basic supplier may stop supplying the customer with electricity and / or gas in accordance with the statutory provisions. For this purpose, the basic supplier must threaten the energy cut-off (electricity / gas) four weeks in advance. If the customer then does not pay, the energy supplier is entitled to interrupt the energy supply after four weeks. He has to announce the cessation of the supply three working days before the block and state the blocking date. In addition, the consequences of the interruption must be in proportion to the payment arrears. However, the question of proportionality can only be assessed on the basis of the circumstances of the individual case. Accordingly, customers often have to accept considerable hardships that are regularly associated with the power cut, because the previous case law does not see this as disproportionate. In acute serious illness, pregnancy in an advanced stage or if z. B. Newborns or small children live in the household, however, an interruption in supply can be classified as unreasonable.

In addition, a block is not possible if there is a prospect that the customer will meet his payment obligation in the future. To do this, a customer must be able to demonstrate that he will immediately meet his payment obligation in full. The mere announcement of a payment is not sufficient in this case. An electricity or gas block is generally not permitted if the residues originate from other types of supply contracts, e.g. B. the private connection is blocked due to payment arrears from commercial consumption.

Once the energy supply is interrupted, the basic supplier only has to restore the supply immediately if the reason for the supply interruption has been eliminated and the customer has reimbursed the costs for the block and the restoration of the supply.

extent

How many people in Germany suffer from energy poverty is not recorded in any official statistics. Approx. According to exemplary calculations by the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia, 20 percent of the population are forced to spend more than 13 percent of their disposable income on energy costs (electricity, heat and, in some cases, fuel). The income and consumption sample 2008, however, shows that the share of household expenditure on energy in the poorest households is 8.7 percent of the available household income.

One indicator of the extent of energy poverty is the number of supply blockages.

It will generate approximately 1.5% of households due to accumulated debts to the utilities, access to electrical energy by a power cut off.

In 2010, four million households were supplied with electricity by the 58 surveyed energy companies, they sent three million reminders and 340,000 blocking threats and ultimately cut off the electricity for 62,000 households.

In 2006, between eleven and 80 reminders were sent out per hundred meters per year, an average of 39. There were supply blockages between 0.6 and 3.7 per hundred meters per year, on average 2.1.

Austria

In a third of all cases, energy poverty is linked to the appearance of mold and leaky windows, half of which have leaky doors.

Spain

In 2016, 11% of households were no longer able to heat their homes sufficiently. According to a study by the Association for Environmental Sciences ACA, energy poverty claimed over 7,000 deaths, six times more than road deaths. We are not talking about the few cases that can be traced back directly from power cuts. Many, especially the elderly, die from illnesses such as pneumonia that are triggered or promoted by the cold in their homes.

activities

To alleviate energy poverty, several proposals are made:

  • Promotion of the replacement of old heating systems by new ones, by dividing the costs by a third between tenants, landlords and the state.
  • Timed consideration of higher electricity costs in the "Hartz IV" rule sets
  • Free energy advice for households in order to tap efficiency potential
  • Protection against electricity and gas locks, for example through prepaid meters
  • Scrapping bonus for consumption-intensive devices and energy efficiency standards

literature

Kopatz, Michael u. a. (2013): Energiewende. But fair! How the energy future can be made socially sustainable. Oekom-Verlag, ISBN 978-3865814289 (publisher: Wuppertal Institute )

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Kopatz , Markus Spitzer, Anja Christanell: Energy poverty: state of research, national programs and regional model projects in Germany, Austria and Great Britain . PDF, 2.7 MB. Wuppertal Paper No. 184 (October 2010). Online at nbn-resolving.de.
  2. ^ Kopatz, Michael u. a. (2013): Energiewende. But fair! How the energy future can be made socially sustainable. Munich
  3. ↑ Life situations in Germany. Draft of the Federal Government's 4th Poverty and Wealth Report, as of: September 19, 2012, p. XX This statement is no longer in the version of November 19, 2012
  4. ↑ Hans Böckler Foundation (ed.) (2013): Böcklerimpuls 2/2013. Dusseldorf
  5. ↑ 50 percent additional costs by 2020: Consumers are threatened with price increases for heating oil . Spiegel Online from February 15, 2013.
  6. ↑ Steffen Bukolt: Burned out? Heating oil in the German heating market. Price Risks and Alternatives ( Memento of the original from January 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 4.3 MB). EnergyComment, Hamburg 2013. Online at oliver-krischer.eu. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / oliver-krischer.eu
  7. ↑ Edenhofer develops climate protection with a social face . May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  8. ^ Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) (2000): English House Condition Survey 1996: Energy Report, DETR London, p. 129 according to Boardman, Brenda (2010): Fixing Fuel Poverty. Challenges and Solutions. London
  9. ↑ Färber, Michael / Flecken, Ursula (2011): The social dimension of energy efficiency, in: Planner. Trade journal for urban, regional and state planning 5.11, p. 39.
  10. ↑ Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development / Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (2009): Costs of Accommodation and Housing Markets (Issue 142), Bonn, p. 50.
  11. ^ Kopatz, Michael u. a. (2013): Energiewende. But fair! How the energy future can be made socially sustainable. Munich, p. 209
  12. ^ Kopatz, Michael u. a. (2013): Energiewende. But fair! How the energy future can be made socially sustainable. Munich, p. 37
  13. ^ Institute for Housing and Environment (2002): Saving energy in heating and electricity - useful information for tenants, Hessian Ministry for the Environment, Agriculture and Forests. Wiesbaden.
  14. ↑ § 19 Paragraph 2 Strom- / GasGVV The 100.00 € limit is not explicitly mentioned in § 19 GasGVV, but is also applied by the prevailing opinion to the interruption of supply in the gas sector.
  15. ↑ Heinrichs, in: Palandt, BGB, 66th edition, § 320 BGB marginal no. 5, 7 ff
  16. ↑ z. B. LG Neubrandenburg, decision of 20-04-2010 - 1 S 130/09
  17. ^ AG Kiel, judgment of 16 January 2013 - 108 C 108/12
  18. ^ LG Neubrandenburg, decision of 20-04-2010 - 1 S 130/09
  19. ↑ OLG Hamburg, decision of 07-03-1989 - 1 W 2/89; LG Aachen, judgment of 06-11-1987 - 5 S 348/87
  20. ↑ Consumer advice center NRW (2008): Proposal of the consumer advice center NRW for the introduction of an electricity saving tariff ("social tariff") for private households. Dusseldorf
  21. ↑ Federal Statistical Office: Publications in the field of sample income and expenditure ( Memento of the original from November 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Online at destatis.de. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.destatis.de
  22. ↑ 600,000 households are cut off electricity each year. In: stern.de. April 29, 2012, archived from the original on May 1, 2012 ; Retrieved April 29, 2012 .
  23. ↑ Consumer advice center North Rhine-Westphalia: Growing energy poverty. (No longer available online.) February 12, 2012, formerly in the original ; Retrieved April 30, 2012 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.vz-nrw.de  
  24. ↑ Federation of Energy Consumers: Electricity & Gas: 840,000 blocks per year. September 14, 2006, accessed April 30, 2012 .
  25. ↑ Brunner Karl-Michael: Possible measures against energy poverty: ( Memento of the original from June 17, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.e-control.at
  26. ↑ Deadly energy poverty in Spain , Telepolis, February 3, 2017
  27. ↑ Sustainability Council: The social side of the energy transition ( memento of the original from March 3, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de