The Nordic region has a vision to become the most sustainable and integrated region in the world. Secure, affordable and clean energy is fundamental to realising this. Yet, in view of recent unprecedented energy prices and geopolitical risk, the concept of energy poverty and just transition has gained a great deal of attention.
Previous studies from Nordic Energy Research (Trilemma study 2023) have pointed at how the rising energy prices have affected households in the Nordic countries and how the Nordic countries have approached consumer protection versus our Baltic and EU counterparts. Although the Nordic countries have shown resilience in the face of the energy crisis there are still many who have reduced their home’s temperature in order to save energy and money or who had a hard time paying electricity bills given that other expenses increased as well.
The Nordic countries have offered varying levels of support to households most affected by the high electricity prices. These actions demonstrate that energy poverty must be viewed in an economic, social, and sustainability context.
This report critically examines energy poverty in the Nordics, offering insights into challenges related to energy access and recommending strategies for improvement. Energy poverty is a global challenge that takes different shapes in different regions. In the Nordics it is important to address and reduce energy poverty to make the green transition more inclusive and socially sustainable. This increases public acceptance and support for the necessary policy changes to manage the green transition.
I’m grateful to the European Joint Research Center for permitting the use of their statistics on the issue used in the report, as well as they did previously in the 2023 report on
“Inflation and its social consequences”.
I commend the researchers and contributors of this report for their efforts in providing insights into energy poverty that align with the vision of a sustainable, competitive, and socially inclusive future for the Nordic Region. I trust readers will find this report as informative as I do.
Klaus Skytte
CEO, Nordic Energy Research