The problems due to access to energy and energy poverty keep intensifying in most developed countries, in terms of the number of households concerned or the severity of the impacts encountered. Vulnerability varies according to geographical location, income, and size and type of accommodation, as well as the type of energy used. The pandemic has worsened a growing phenomenon.
And its measurement is complex and varies from one country to another. In France, the French National Energy Poverty Observatory, of which EDF is a partner, published its indicator (1), revealing that 3.3 million households were in a situation of energy poverty. In the United Kingdom, the indicator published by the public authorities (2) showed the country had 2.5 households in a situation of energy poverty. In Italy and Belgium, there is currently neither a definition nor an indicator relating to energy poverty.
In these very different national contexts in regulatory, economic, political, and competitive terms, the EDF group is committed to the fight against energy poverty alongside public and social organisations and associations.
| R&D programme | EDF R&D runs an “Energy poverty: understand-innovate” programme to anticipate the changes in energy poverty and public policies and to design and develop innovations allowing to fight against energy poverty more efficiently. In France, EDF was involved in the work of the National Fuel Poverty Monitoring Centre. |
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| GEODIP | Since late 2021, the National Observatory of Energy Poverty (ONPE) has enabled local actors to use the GEODIP tool (Geolocate Diagnose Energy Poverty), which makes it possible to visualise energy poverty zones based on housing and household car use. |
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The Group has long been acting to ensure that an electricity bill is not an additional aggravating factor for its most vulnerable customers. EDF’s efforts are supported by its solidarity policy, which either serve as a supplement to public programmes or work by deploying special actions of their own. The operational implementation of this policy is based on three components: payment assistance, customer support, and prevention.
In addition to the personalised payment terms that may be granted (see section 3.3.4.2.2), the EDF group is closely involved in national and regional public schemes and participates in the Don d’Énergie (energy donation) programme.
| Energy vouchers |
The French Government sent energy vouchers to 5.8 million households in 2021, worth an average amount of €150. In a context of rising energy prices, the government announced in mid-September, a one-time additional energy voucher of €100, which was sent in December 2021 automatically to all households that already received the energy voucher for the year 2021. EDF supports the sending of energy vouchers by sending all forms of reminders at the beginning of the winter break, and by conducting information campaigns with social workers and with EDF partners through solidarity contacts and solidarity customer advisors. Online delivery of the voucher and certificate on the chequeenergie.gouv.fr website is encouraged and supported. |
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| Fonds de solidarité logement (Housing Solidarity Fund or FSL) |
For the past 30 years, EDF has had an active partnership with the Fonds de Solidarité Logement, granting financial aid to people who have difficulty paying for their housing expenses. With €20.7 million in 2021, EDF is the largest contributor to the Fonds de Solidarité Logement, after government agencies. |
| Don d’énergie (i.e. “Energy gift”) |
In France, EDF is developing Don d’énergie (i.e. “Energy gift”), in partnership with the Abbé Pierre Foundation. Since 2018, EDF’s customers with the EDF & MOI application and its newsfeed can make a donation to help vulnerable households pay their electricity bill, irrespective of their electricity supplier. EDF matches this tax-free donation up to 100% up to a certain limit. |
In Italy, Edison is rolling out the “social bonus” scheme, a public scheme which takes the form of a reduction applied to electricity bills, based on levels of income. In Belgium, Luminus developed all the public schemes that are very specific to Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels Capital Region. In the UK, the Energy Carbon Obligation (ECO3), aimed at vulnerable customers and implemented by EDF Energy, encompasses both measures for reducing carbon emissions and fighting against fuel poverty through the improvement of energy efficiency.
EDF has made arrangements to provide massive support to customers facing hardship. This translates into an Energy Support service, increased vigilance during the winter break, and a firm local basis for the solidarity policy.
Recently EDF committed itself to no longer requesting that electricity be cut off for unpaid bills by its private customers in France.
With this measure, EDF goes further than its regulatory obligations outside the winter grace period, by replacing the cut-off with a power limit of 1kVA (3). This measure, which will take effect on 1 April 2022, will apply in all cases, unless there is a physical or technical inability to limit the power supply of the dwelling.
(1) French National Energy Poverty Observatory 2019 dashboard (Energy poverty quantification indicators).
(2) National Statistics Fuel poverty detailed tables 2019.
(3) A power of 1kVA is enough to maintain several essential uses of electricity, such as lighting, operating kitchen equipment (refrigerator, freezer, etc.), or charging electronic devices. This is sufficient power to provide minimum service while waiting for the customer to settle their energy bills.
