AI-supported policy guide: leveraging energy efficiency to combat energy poverty in the EU

Oeko-Institut has published an innovative policy guide to combat energy poverty in the European Union. The guide places a particular emphasis on energy efficiency as a strategic lever for reducing energy costs and improving the quality of life of low-income households. It serves as a practical guide for policymakers and provides recommendations for implementing key legislative initiatives of the EU such as the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

The Policy Guide is based on research and findings of the European energy efficiency community, which gathers every two years at the eceee Summer Study. This conference, organised by the European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (eceee), brings together over 400 experts to exchange and discuss key developments and insights in the field of energy efficiency through peer-reviewed papers and presentations.

The use of a large language model (LLM) was a key feature of creating this policy guide. Through targeted fine-tuning of the AI knowledge base with around 130 scientific publications and iterative adjustments of instructions, GPT-4 was optimised to write structured and well-founded posts on the topic of energy poverty. The researchers also tested this method with other language models and various chatbots but chose GPT-4 for its relatively easy accessibility and adjustability and gradually refined it with human expertise. The result was a comprehensive guide that takes into account the latest research and policy developments.

Scientific recommendations to combat energy poverty

The guide analyses the challenges of energy poverty, defines measurable indicators and presents successful practical examples from European countries. The aim is to support the transition to a sustainable and socially just energy system and to strengthen the resilience of disadvantaged households in the long term.

The key recommendations of the research team are to

• introduce targeted subsidies: prioritise income-related financial support for energy efficiency measures such as insulation, efficient heating systems and renewable energies to enable vulnerable households to access energy efficiency and reduce energy costs in the long term;
• create local contact points: set up local advice centres for personal, energy-related support to facilitate access to subsidies and energy-saving advice;
• introduce social energy advice schemes: train social counsellors to give households practical tips on how to save energy and reduce energy costs – without major investments;
• promote small, immediate measures: support low-cost solutions such as LED lighting and draught-proofing windows to enable short-term savings;
• integrate energy poverty in national policy instruments: align energy efficiency policies more closely with the needs of low-income households to ensure a fair distribution of efficiency measures;
• improve accessibility and engagement: use partnerships with community-based organisations and multilingual approaches to make support easily accessible and appropriate for the target group; and
• improve monitoring and data collection: develop indicators and establish systematic data collection to evaluate the impact of measures to reduce energy poverty and develop long-term, evidence-based strategies.

Policy Guide 'Leveraging Energy Efficiency to Combat Energy Poverty in the European Union' by Oeko-Institut