Abstract
With 2017, National Energy Strategy, Italy introduced a definition of energy poverty, combining three elements: the presence of a high level of energy expenditure, an amount of total expenditure below the relative poverty threshold and a null value for the purchase of heating products. The Integrated National Plan for Energy and Climate adopts the same definition, provides an estimation on the evolution of energy poverty in 2030 and lists the tax deduction scheme for energy renovation of the existing building stock (Ecobonus) among the specific measures dedicated to energy poverty. Implemented as an alternative measure under Article 7 of EED (European Energy Efficiency Directive), Ecobonus enables the households in the no-tax area—which are likely to be energy poor—to transfer their tax credits to financial institutions, work suppliers or other private entities, reducing the investment cost for energy/efficiency interventions. Based on information at the regional level, namely ENEA microdata on Ecobonus, this paper examines the possible relationship between indicators such as household income and the access to Ecobonus. Additionally, the study analyzes if this relationship changes for the different categories of interventions incentivized by Ecobonus, such as the replacement of windows and shutters or of heating systems. The hypothesis is that the incentive measure, with its current approach, has a regressive distributive effect on households, and it does not effectively support energy-poverty eradication. To our knowledge, the relationship between income and interventions incentivized by Ecobonus has not been investigated before, neither at the regional level nor in an energy-poverty framework.
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Notes
- 1.
In particular, energy poverty is mentioned in Art. 7 of Energy Efficiency Directive (2018/2002), Art. 2 of Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2018/844), Art. 28 and 29 of Electricity Directive (2019/944) and Art. 2 of Governance Regulation (2018/2002).
- 2.
- 3.
These rates have been modified by 2018 Budget Law (27 December 2017 no. 205) and confirmed by 2019 Budget Law (30 December 2018, no. 145). The recent 2020 Budget Law (27 December 2019, no. 160) is not taken into account here since the analysis is concentrated on 2018 data.
- 4.
Maps are a tool more and more used to describe a wide range of phenomena, also thanks the availability of georeferenced data. Among other research, it is interesting to mention the work by Hills (2012) devoted to mapping energy poverty in the United Kingdom and the work by Lelo et al. (2019), aimed at mapping a wide range of social phenomena in Rome.
- 5.
https://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=DCCN_SEQCONTIRFT, last accessed 2/12/2019.
- 6.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-datasets/product?code=nrg_chddr2_m, last accessed 2/12/2019. In 2018, HDD in Italian regions ranged between a maximum value of 4,184 (Valle d’Aosta) and a minimum value of 946 (Sardinia). These two regions had the highest and lowest values also in 2016.
- 7.
It is interesting to mention the local initiative “Reddito Energetico”, financing small photovoltaic installations in buildings inhabited by energy-poor households and also introducing a revolving fund. This has been implemented by Gestore Servizi Energetici in Sardinia and more information can be found in Energy Efficiency Annual Report (ENEA 2019).
- 8.
Also, the tax deductions for refurbishment of existing buildings (Bonus Casa) would contribute to reach this overall figure. In 2018, interventions incentivized through Bonus Casa saved 0.225 Mtoe/year, whereas those incentivized by Ecobonus were 0.106 Mtoe/year.
- 9.
Such a tool is perfectly in line with Art.10 of Energy Performance of Building Directive (2018/844). More information can be found on the project website www.enershift.eu.
- 10.
More information on this incentive scheme for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources can be found in Ministerial Decree 16/02/2016.
- 11.
In Italy, an EPC integrated database exists and is managed by ENEA: it currently includes the EPCs from seven regions and two autonomous provinces.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all ENEA colleagues who contributed to the “2017 Annual Report—65% Tax deduction scheme—Ecobonus,” to the “2019 Annual Report–Tax deduction schemes” and to the “EnR Position paper on Energy Poverty in the European Union.”
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Martini, C. (2021). The Ecobonus Incentive Scheme and Energy Poverty: Is Energy Efficiency for All?. In: Bisello, A., Vettorato, D., Haarstad, H., Borsboom-van Beurden, J. (eds) Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions. SSPCR 2019. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57332-4_35
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