Energy Poverty in Finland: Reality and Challenges in the Face of Climate Change

Abstract

Energy poverty is a multidimensional issue, with root causes that vary from country to country, and therefore requires each country to develop its own strategies and policies. In Finland, the incidence of wintertime energy poverty is relatively low according to European indicators, and hence largely unrecognized as a social issue. These current low levels of energy poverty are largely due to generally energy-efficient housing, extensive district heating infrastructure, and social security measures to support citizens’ well-being; however, energy poverty still exists within the most vulnerable groups. In addition, there is growing evidence of increasing levels of summertime occupant discomfort from high indoor temperatures due to a warming climate and housing stock that is designed for a cool rather than a hot climate. In the absence of passive cooling measures, this might lead to higher energy demands for active cooling in homes, and the subsequent risk of energy poverty in households unable to both install cooling measures and/or afford the related increases in cooling expenses. This chapter brings to the foreground overlooked issues in winter and summer energy poverty in Finland, providing a brief overview of the situation, and describing the measures employed to reduce winter energy poverty to current low levels. The potential building cooling energy increase in a warming climate, and the lack of research data to properly understand this phenomenon in Finland is then discussed. Context-specific considerations are made with regards to the need for inclusion of Nordic-region specific energy poverty approaches. Finally, this chapter provides a starting point for the reflection on what strategies should be implemented to effectively mitigate energy poverty now and in the future.