Inadequate consideration given to energy poverty in summer?

Posted On: July 22, 2023

Fuel poverty is a common theme when it comes to winter cold, but what about fuel poverty in the context of summer heat? According to the Abbé Pierre Foundation, this would be a problem that public authorities pay too little attention to, but which is expected to worsen with global warming.

As France experiences a heat wave, the Abbé Pierre Foundation publishes the results of a study on it fuel shortage in summerthat is, the fact of living in an apartment that is too hot without having the opportunity to cool it down.

According to the Abbé Pierre Foundation, there is a risk that this problem will become an increasingly important public health problem the global warmingwhich increases the frequency and intensity of heat waves.

According to an OpinionWay poll 37% of the French said they often or always suffered from heat in their accommodation in 2021.

This summer, fuel poverty would primarily hit low-income and urban households, particularly the young and elderly. The Abbé Pierre Foundation emphasizes that in working-class neighborhoods urban heat islands Due to a lack of vegetation, buildings form more easily and buildings are often less well insulated.

I have to say that summer comfort has only recently been taken into account in residential construction with the new Environmental Regulation 2020 (RE2020), which came into force on January 1, 2022.

Even if landlords legally stipulate a minimum temperature of 19 degrees in the accommodation, there is no maximum temperature.

A problem that must be integrated into the energy-related renovation policy

The Abbé Pierre Foundation also regrets that the subsidies for energy renovations are not more specifically aimed at summer comfort. The Actibaie Group also regularly promotes the integration of shutters and blinds in MaPrimeRénov’.

” In some cases, monument protection or residential property regulations even prevent the installation of roller shutters or sun protection on the facade. », notes the Abbé Pierre Foundation, which calls for a change in the rules of co-ownership Encourage the installation of sunscreenwhether for shutters or green roofs.

In this context, the NGO calls on the authorities to give more consideration to summer comfort and summer energy poverty in the law and puts forward a series of 19 proposals, most of which aim to integrate heat protection into energy renovation policies. The foundation also calls for a ban on the massive installation of air conditioning, which emits a lot of CO2 and exacerbates the problem of overheating.

Claire Lemonnier
Featured photo: Adobe Stock