Applied policy measures for energy savings in end-use sectors in EU-countries: what is best?

P.G.M. Boonekamp, ECN – Policy Studies unit, The Netherlands
W.A. Eichhammer, Fraunhofer ISI, Germany

Keywords

policy measures, energy savings, households, MURE, coverage, impact, innovative, effectiveness, EU-policy, interaction

Abstract

Past and present policy measures to stimulate energy savings in the household sector in EU-15 countries are analysed as to their type (regulatory, financial, information, etc.), their coverage of different types of energy use and their estimated impact on energy consumption. Moreover, the matching of national and EU-based policy measures is looked at. Finally, a number of innovative policy measures are presented. This analysis comprises over 310 policy measures presently available for the residential sector in the MURE-database sponsored by the European Commission.

On the basis of these results and a theory on effective implementation of saving measures using policy measures, tentative conclusions are drawn on the amount and composition of policy measures in EU-countries, the role EU-policy can or should play and the effectiveness of the sets of policy measures in EU-countries.