Happy New Year with the goal to be more energy efficient in your buildings and use energy sustainably.

Energy poor household in Europe represents a household that uses more than 10% of its household budget on electricity and heating. If this criteria is used in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in this category belongs more than 70% of the households.

Energy poverty can be defined for a household if its income is below the poverty level, if the energy expenses are larger than it is typical for the same type of households and if the energy performances of buildings and appliances are low, which is mentioned on the website of the European Commission about energy poverty¹. Reducing energy poverty is a key in the European Union (EU) goals, is further mentioned.

No matter which criteria is used for defining energy poverty, it affects the well – being and human health, physical as well as psychological.

To understand what does energy poverty represent and how to approach the reduction of energy poverty, it is necessary to understand too that inflation has contributed to the rise in the number of residents who are affected with this theme, and that further education is needed for residents and employees on this theme. Mostly affects households, although business buildings are not resistant to energy poverty either.

More than 20% of residents of the European Union in the last year were in danger of poverty or social exclusion is mentioned on this link.

Most endangered groups of people exposed to energy poverty are the most sensible groups, often when as consumers they use a considerable amount of income to pay bills for energy used in the household. With this come the low incomes, energy inefficient buildings and devices which use a large amount of electrical energy and other types of energy for cooling, heating of the household, lighting bulbs and devices in the household.

Listed are examples of needed energy efficiency (EE) measures of the architectural elements of buildings, where afterwards savings are visible in short - term, while the significant decrease in the existing problems as well as the effect on the human well – being and health are as well visible:

• Analyses of the existing building condition and technical characteristics can prove key elements that are necessary for an energy efficient building and therefore contribute really to the "energy renovation".
• Are those the walls, where is done the so - called "Warming of the buildings".
• Windows that are outdated.
• Roof covering that lets the rainwater and a large amount of heat in.
• Condensation and capillary moisture on the walls and openings, and often occurs after flood waters meaning in flooded areas.
• Measures for the refurbishment on the principle of energy efficiency serve to decrease the effect of climate change, and other energy and climate goals.

Then here are some EE measures for energy savings:

• Check if the doors and windows let the air inside, then place thermal insulation or thermal insulation strips.
• If you have devices that spend a large amount of electricity, check which type of electricity you are using in the time that the devices are turned on.
• Check if the thermostat is placed at the appropriate, good location in the building .
• If the thermostat is placed at a wrong location, then more will be spent on heating or will turn on frequently which means spent more energy on heating.
• If the buildings‘ roof is not insulated, more energy will go out of the building, as will more energy be spent on heating.
• If you have a space with stairs, balconies, then more energy will be spent on heating if the insulation of the area is not done according to the technical standards and could come to moisture appearance.
• If you have or want to buy electrical radiators or convectors, check which wall or part of the space they should be placed.

In these goals belongs the reduction of CO₂ emissions, buildings refurbishment in the meaning of sustainability and conservation as well as contribution to the goals of the sustainable development Agenda SDG 2030², such as the Goal 7 which is about ensuring access to affordable, but also reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, mentioning electricity, heating and energy efficiency improvement.

Top image in the article: View of bioengineering advance in tech. Image by Freepik. Retrieved 10 January, 2024 from (https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/view-bioengineering-advance-tech_57314166.htm#query=energy%20efficiency&position=5&from_view=keyword&track=ais&uuid=41678807-6eff-4da2-a460-b457f18ed21a) via Freepik.com (Free license). Copy-Paste into your browser.

1. Energy Poverty. Retrieved 3 January, 2024 from (https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/markets-and-consumers/energy-consumer-rights/energy-poverty_en) Copy-Paste into your browser.

2. Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 7. Retrieved 3 January, 2024 from (https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7) Copy-Paste into your browser.

CO2 energy efficiency energy poverty households