The behind-the-scenes story of 2022 energy and inflationary crises: data, experiences and opinions of Spanish vulnerable households

Abstract

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a profound economic impact in Europe. In this new context of energy and inflationary crises, the EU and its Member States implemented different strategies to mitigate their effects. However, at the time when these policies were implemented, the ‘real-time’ situation and the reaction of European households to this shocking crisis were unknown. This paper aims to shed light on what this emergency has meant for vulnerable groups. The study, proposed by the Spanish Red Cross, explores the situation of the households assisted by this NGO using a mixed methodology of quantitative (primary data survey) and qualitative (focus groups) research. Thus, this article combines data, experiences and opinions of this vulnerable collective, the NGO technical staff and experts from academia. The results unveil a complex and ambivalent situation of this vulnerable population concerning energy poverty. The most pressing problem (more than 60 of the population) was the inability to maintain comfort in their homes in both winter and summer. These two seasonal faces of energy poverty are linked to the poor quality of their dwellings and energy services. Moreover, low-income levels and high energy prices pushed more than 90 of these households to cut off or reduce heating consumption during the 2022-2023 winter. Eventually, this paper highlights how this population employs different coping strategies, which affect their quality of life. In this sense, experts and technical staff believe the path towards a just energy transition is essential to adequately address this social issue.