Page 182 - Proceeding 2015

FAMP MU?ATESCU Virgil and COMĂNESCU Mihaela
CCASP ENERGY EFFICIENCY – A CHALLENGE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Energy efficiency is an important tool to solve the three challenges. By increasing efficiency, the energy

consumption is lowered and the energy supply is more secure. At the same time, by using less fossil
fuels a lower quantity of greenhouse gases emissions are recorded. Finally, through a more efficient
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 11 TH ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
use of energy, the energy bills will be more affordable. So, promoting energy efficiency and using it in

appropriate public policies both at central and local level can provide adequate answer to energy
trilemma and can engulf it into authorities’ integrated decisions.

Because electricity and gas markets are countrywide, regional, and even at European level, the most

important local public energy service is that related to district heating and this is the highest challenge
that local authorities face, especially in Romania. The problem is complex and has implications on the
citizens, on the City’s budget, on the central budget, and even on the health system budget, because to

sustain this service has implications on citizens financial resources, on the magnitude of central and
local subsides, and the lack of this service has negative implications on citizens health and on health

sector’s budget. Unfortunately, if this specific public service is not properly delivered we encounter a
30 th – 31 st October 2015 ”Strategic Management for Local Communities” Bucharest
consumer category that is not desired to appear in any city: „vulnerable consumers”.

3. FUEL POVERTY

There is known that a share of Romania population is not capable – in general and in normal conditions
– to enjoy a decent level of thermal comfort in their dwellings, because of the high cost of thermal bills in
comparison with their income. In principle, this impossibility to ensure thermal comfort was identified in

many countries and was studied especially in Great Britain under the name of “fuel poverty” (as part of a
more general “energy poverty), and the consumers found in this position are considered to be

“vulnerable thermal consumers”.

As it is treated in social aid system in Romania, fuel poverty is considered to be intrinsic to poverty in
general, being encountered in economies less developed. However, in studies made in other countries

(again, especially in Great Britain) fuel poverty is considered to be a special problem, somehow linked
to population’s poverty but which has to be treated separately. This is very encouraging indeed,
because if fuel poverty would be a part of poverty in general, it would be solved only when poverty in

general would be solved. Consequently, those inequalities that can be avoided are – fundamentally –
unfair and fuel poverty is considered to be evitable (Friends of the Earth, 2011).

In this respect, there is a resolution of European Parliament, preceded by a resolution of the European

Council that requests to European Commission and to Member States to cooperate for adoption of a
legislative strategy and of coherent policies in order to solve the consumers’ vulnerability. These

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