Energy Poverty (EP) is a socio-economical issue determining difficulty in paying energy bills mainly due to the low income of the impacted families and individuals, emphasized by high final energy price and poor technical characteristics of buildings, often resulting in poor Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). Social housing tenants are often vulnerable groups, with low-income levels, living in rented buildings frequently characterized by low energy performance. In addition, energy-savings refurbishment could be ineffective in addressing the outcomes of EP, due to the occupants’ attitude to cut the energy expenditure and accept low IEQ standards. In this framework the knowledge of homes and tenants’ conditions before and after any investment or policy decision is fundamental in assessing the effectiveness of any action. This study presents the results of a survey conducted on 309 dwellings owned by the agency for social housing of Belluno Province (Italy) during the winter season 2023–2024 to compare the capability of three EP indicators to detect EP conditions consistently. The inability to keep the house warm, the presence of mold and dampness and thermal comfort indicators have been considered. In addition, several EP risk factors are analyzed, including behavioral (i.e., set-point temperature <20 °C, unheated rooms, limited heating system and window operation) and comfort aspects (i.e., perceived air quality). Vulnerability factors (i.e., low education level, immigrants, single-parenting, elders, disabled people) were also investigated. Collected data allows recognizing EP cases, without accessing private information such as the energy bills or the tenants’ incomes and can be used by the public owner to draw a priority schedule of interventions.

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Energy-Poverty-Related Social Factors, Behavior and Subjective Perception of Tenants Living in Social Housing: A Survey of 300 Dwellings in Belluno Province (Italy)

  • Ilaria Pittana,
  • Francesca Cappelletti,
  • Andrea Gasparella

摘要

Energy Poverty (EP) is a socio-economical issue determining difficulty in paying energy bills mainly due to the low income of the impacted families and individuals, emphasized by high final energy price and poor technical characteristics of buildings, often resulting in poor Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). Social housing tenants are often vulnerable groups, with low-income levels, living in rented buildings frequently characterized by low energy performance. In addition, energy-savings refurbishment could be ineffective in addressing the outcomes of EP, due to the occupants’ attitude to cut the energy expenditure and accept low IEQ standards. In this framework the knowledge of homes and tenants’ conditions before and after any investment or policy decision is fundamental in assessing the effectiveness of any action. This study presents the results of a survey conducted on 309 dwellings owned by the agency for social housing of Belluno Province (Italy) during the winter season 2023–2024 to compare the capability of three EP indicators to detect EP conditions consistently. The inability to keep the house warm, the presence of mold and dampness and thermal comfort indicators have been considered. In addition, several EP risk factors are analyzed, including behavioral (i.e., set-point temperature <20 °C, unheated rooms, limited heating system and window operation) and comfort aspects (i.e., perceived air quality). Vulnerability factors (i.e., low education level, immigrants, single-parenting, elders, disabled people) were also investigated. Collected data allows recognizing EP cases, without accessing private information such as the energy bills or the tenants’ incomes and can be used by the public owner to draw a priority schedule of interventions.