Energy poverty and the role of institutions: exploring procedural energy justice – Ombudsman in focus

Figures & data

Graph 1 . Conceptual framework. Source: author

Table 1. Indicators of relevance to energy poverty for 2019.

Category	Indicator	Austria	North Macedonia
Key energy poverty indicators	Inability to keep home adequately warm	1.8%	33.1%
	Arrears on utility bills	2.4%	34.4%
	The total population living in a dwelling with a leaking roof, damp walls, floors or foundation, or rot in window frames of floor	9.4%	13.9%
Income	At-risk-of-poverty rate	13.3%	21.6%
Housing	Severe housing deprivation rate	3%	9.7%
Market	Market share of the largest generator in the electricity market	n/a	70.82%
Social welfare system	Impact of social transfers (excluding pensions) on poverty reduction	49.24%	14.96%

Source: (Eurostat).

Table 2. Main and their sub-criteria defining a severe social case according to Wien Energie Ombudsman.

Main criteria	Sub-criteria
Income	(1) Persons on the guaranteed minimum income or minimal pension; (2) Long-term unemployed person eligible for support from labor market authorities; (3) Owner of a card of the City of Vienna with discounts for persons on minimal income or minimal pension; (4) Household which energy costs are more than 10% of the household income; (5) Person not entitled to the guaranteed minimal income; (6) Person which receives support for child care and allowance
Illness	(1) Household with a member receiving attendance allowance; (2) Person on life-support equipment; (3) Person with disability (certificate of disability); (4) Chronically ill person (e.g. cancer); (5) Person with appointed special guardian; (6) Person with psychological illness; (7) Person with current addiction
Housing situation	(1) Former homeless person or family who have been taken care of by an institution; (2) Person at the risk of eviction
Family situation	(1) Single parent with children required to attend school; (2) Single mother-to-be or family-to-be with children required to attend school
Debts	(1) Rent arrears; (2) Energy arrears or disconnection or risk at disconnection from Wien Energie (electricity/heat); (3) Person in debt/person under execution (attachment); (4) Person working on paying back debts
Life crises	(1) Separation/divorce, death in the family; (2) Domestic violence (restraining order for domestic violence); (3) Job loss; (4) Person on probationary service; (5) Person with a refugee status; (6) Person with an ongoing asylum procedure

Source: (Wien_Energie_Ombudsman, 2017).

Table 3. A real example of a severe social case’s request and the response from Wien Energie Ombudsman.

Client’s request

I am a single mother of two sons. The older one goes to university and the younger has a metabolic disease … Since 3 years ago I have no energy … We use candles and a gas cooker. Since my divorce, I’m struggling with our existence. I have to pay off a credit which I have taken together with my ex-husband. At the moment my debts are 5934.53 EUR towards Wien Energie and also the costs for court and lawyer are increasing daily … I fear that due to the upcoming attachment (execution) of my salary, I will lose my job …  We cannot shower at home because we don’t have hot water – we use a fuelwood stove for heating. My sons and I are suffering. I have heard about the Ombudsman Wien Energie and I hope that they can help me …

Ombudsman’s response

The solution of the Ombudsman: Mrs. M. has sent a request a support from the social institutions in Vienna and was rejected. The Ombudsman Wien Energie intervened and proposed a concept for a wholesome solution. Based on our intervention and the given sustainable solution, the social institutions paid her court expenses. Mrs. M financed the installation with her vacation savings and own savings of 400 EUR. The pre-payment meter was installed and the current costs and the old debts were slowly paid off. The attachment (execution) of her salary was canceled. Mrs. M pays monthly old debts and has again electricity.

Source: edited from (Wien_Energie_Ombudsman, 2017).

EPSU, & EAPN. (2017). Right to energy for all Europeans! (http://www.epsu.org/sites/default/files/article/files/Right%20to%20energy%20web%20reading%20-%20EN.pdf

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Wien_Energie_Ombudsman (2017). Wien Energie materials.

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