International comparison of policy instruments for energy efficiency in residential space heating

Panel: Panel 4: Environmental Perspective (externalities and life cycle approaches, local and global impacts and incentatives)

Authors:
Hubertus Voss-Uhlenbrock, Institute for Energy Economics and the Rational use of Energy, University of Stuttgart
Christoph Weber, Institute for Energy Economics and the Rational use of Energy, University of Stuttgart
Ulrich Fahl, Institute for Energy Economics and the Rational use of Energy, University of Stuttgart

Abstract

The presentation deals with an international comparison of current policy instruments for energy efficiency in residential space heating in European countries. Thereby the different policy instruments including standards, subsidies, taxes and other instruments like information campaigns are analysed and compared for selected countries, namely Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden.

Instruments are found to be related closely to environmental objectives. Due to the reduction goal of the European Community concerning greenhouse gases and the considerable share of residential space heating in final energy consumption in all countries special objectives and a broad set of policy instruments in the residential sector can be observed. Despite a missing of a harmonised European policy in the field of energy consumption for residential space heating some convergence from "bottom up" in the national use of standards is found. However every country chooses its own key value of the building system to establish national requirement levels in standards. Given their considerable economic impact taxes are probably the main guiding structural force beside standards. A step by step widening and deepening of the tax base and rates took place in the 90ties, especially in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands the taxes being used to induce allocative effects.

However for activating the remaining, still considerable, potentials of energy saving in the residential sectors far more optimised instruments are necessary and their interplay has to be understood. The analyses carried out provide an excellent framework for empirical investigations and enable the national actors to learn from good practices for their own problems.