Mytiline and Kalymnos in the Aegean Sea and Corfu and Lefkada in the Ionian Sea are four islands that present comparable challenges. The dimension spans from 130 to 600 km2 with a population between 16 000 and 102 000 inhabitants. In all the islands many deteriorating factors regarding energy poverty are identified: income seasonality, lack of gas grids, aged building stock, inefficient heating systems, building corrosion, high renovation costs, limited access to ICT infrastructure, etc.
The population faces multiple issues directly or indirectly related to access to energy: unemployment (from 15% to 19%), lack of heating (from 4% to 43%), or use of imported fossil fuel (from 14% to 66%), total lack of insulation (from 36% to 69%), single-parent families (from 13% to 16%), lack of internet access (above 64%) etc.
On top, the islands present an additional burden due to their geographical characteristics. This very specific local context requires dedicated expertise and knowledge.
INZEB will provide technical assistance to the four islands with the collaboration of the Dafni Network and the various services of the municipalities, taking this way a collective action to tackle energy poverty.
The technical assistance will develop around four main topics, (a) the methodological and technical support to properly diagnose and map energy poverty taking into consideration all the specificities of small islands, (b) the identification of the best approach to develop a centralised One-Stop-Shop, (c) definition of the possible viable instruments to use to increase awareness and engage the citizens, and (d) the inclusion in the local climate plan of energy poverty indicators.
The technical assistance shall provide a continuous transfer of knowledge and experience to the local staff to guarantee their independence and thus the sustainability of future actions.
About EPAH
This opportunity was launched by EPAH, the leading EU initiative run by the European Commission at the request of the European Parliament. EPAH is a collaborative network of stakeholders aiming to eradicate energy poverty and accelerate the just energy transition of European local governments. The objective of the call for technical assistance is to provide high-quality tailored support to local governments in their development against energy poverty. As a result of the first call, 35 municipalities from across Europe, including the islands of Mytiline, Kalymnos, Corfu, and Lefkada, are selected to receive tailored support. Find here the EPAH announcement for the four Greek islands.