Energy Poverty: From Local Concerns to a Shared Voice

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Energy poverty is often invisible until a family is forced to choose between heating, electricity and other basic needs. In Albania, the DEAR project Funding Fairer Futures is working to make those experiences visible – and to turn scattered local concerns into a shared advocacy voice.

Led by REC Albania, S-Energy connects energy poverty with climate vulnerability, showing how rising energy hardship is shaped not only by income, but also by housing quality, weak infrastructure, climate risks and gaps in policy support.

The first step was listening. Across Shkodër, Vlorë and Kamëz, REC Albania met with 40 civil society representatives, local coordinators and community actors to understand where energy poverty is most severe, who is most affected, and how climate shocks are making the problem worse.

In Shkodër, 19 civil society representatives described how energy poverty is linked to weak electricity supply, floods, drought, informal settlements, and the exclusion of Roma and Egyptian communities. In Vlorë, 15 representatives identified older apartment blocks with poor insulation, flood-prone villages along the Vjosa River valley, and low-income elderly households as priority concerns. In Kamëz, six local representatives highlighted flood-prone settlements, the Bathore area, the Ishëm riverbank, and neighbourhoods where poor drainage, informal construction and unsafe electrical networks increase families’ exposure to climate and energy risks.

Together, these conversations helped build a grounded picture of how energy poverty looks across Albania – from rural valleys to peri-urban neighbourhoods.

“Energy poverty is not purely an income issue, but a systemic vulnerability.”
–Nertila Muçollari, Shkodër

The meetings were not isolated consultations. They became the basis for a wider advocacy campaign, helping REC Albania strengthen relationships with civil society organisations and gather evidence for a policy declaration and future public messages.

This shift matters because Albania still lacks a formal definition and systematic monitoring of energy poverty, even though the issue affects many households and is intensified by climate impacts. By translating local experience into shared advocacy language, S-Energy is helping civil society engage decision-makers, media and communities with a clearer, more collective message.

The project’s goal is to advocate for a national standard on energy poverty, supporting targeted interventions that improve home energy efficiency and reach families most in need.

Through its digital campaign, factsheets and community interviews, S-Energy is turning lived experience into public knowledge – and helping push for fairer, measurable and longer-term policies for Albania’s most vulnerable households.

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