The Impact of Energy Efficiency Regulations on Energy Poverty in Residential Dwellings in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area: An Empirical Investigation

Abstract

This research examines the effect of energy efficiency regulations on reducing energy poverty in residential dwellings in 18 municipalities of the Lisbon metropolitan area from 2014 to 2020. In its empirical investigation, this study uses Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) with fixed effects and Moments Quantile Regression (MM-QR) methodologies. The results of the OLS and MM-QR models suggest that energy efficiency regulations for the residential sector positively impact energy poverty (101.9252). However, this result may suggest that the current regulations are not effectively mitigating energy poverty in Lisbon’s metropolitan area and Portugal. This ineffectiveness could be due to economic, institutional, and behavioural barriers that impede the achievement of regulation policy goals. In maximising economic and social benefits, policymakers should consider implementing policies that link energy efficiency with clean energy generation in dwellings, promote economies of scale by recycling residuals from dwelling renovations, and provide clear guidance for materialising the energy strategy.

Effectiveness of financial support interventions to reduce adverse health outcomes among households in fuel poverty in the United Kingdom

“…The European Union initiated mandatory energy efficiency certificates for housing in 2002 which could explain the reduction in space heating consumption in member countries in the ensuing years [ 48 ]. Even European countries with old, high energy consuming residential housing stock have experienced a positive impact from energy efficiency regulations [ 49 ].…”

Assessing Energy Performance Certificates for Buildings: A Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of Portuguese Municipalities

“…We chose this normalization to account for the different dimensions of the Portuguese municipalities. Some authors have used this variable as a proxy for energy efficiency performance, such as Koengkan et al [76], Fuinhas et al [77], and Koengkan et al [87].…”

Building a Sustainable Future: How Eco-Friendly Homes Are Driving Local Economic Development in Lisbon Metropolitan Area

“…Other factors may have contributed to the increase in the number of "eco-friendly" houses and reduction of "non-eco-friendly" houses in the Lisbon metropolitan area, including the implementation of energy efficiency policies for the residential sector in Portugal. According to Koengkan et al [12], since 2006, five energy efficiency policies have been in force in Portugal. The first policy, implemented in 2006, revised the national RSECE building code and established strict standards for HVACs energy use.…”

“…Therefore, the residential building sector in the EU is far from homogeneous, as it varies significantly across and within member states (e.g., [9][10][11]). For instance, in the EU region, Southern European countries have lower residential sector energy consumption [12]. Portugal deserves deeper consideration among Southern European countries because of its unique characteristics (e.g., [13,14]).…”

“…Some studies (e.g., [35][36][37][38]) have empirically shown a positive relationship between green buildings and energy efficiency. In addition, a few recent studies (e.g., [11,12,14,15]) have focused on Portugal and examined the relationship between energy-efficient or eco-friendly houses and other factors, such as financial and fiscal incentive policies and energy efficiency regulations. Despite these studies focusing on Portugal, no study has investigated the effect of green buildings on local economic development in Portugal.…”