Energy poverty: A macrolevel perspective

The growing unpredictability of energy poverty requires a different policy approach. Yet studies focus on the microlevel drivers, leaving the roles of macroeconomic perspective and climate understudied. Studying the latter is important though, because well-planned policies can fail if the causes of energy poverty and their interrelations remain unclear. This research submits data collected from 28 EU member states to fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and offers new evidence concerning the relationship between energy poverty and macrolevel drivers. Our results suggest that states with a mild climate, low or average GDP, and high energy prices have high levels of energy poverty. Likewise, states located in colder climates with low or average GDP, the energy-policy focus, and nonhigh energy prices tend to be energy poor. Moreover, the results show that two configurations lead to absence of energy poverty. To develop and implement effective policies, it is vital to understand these configurations.