In 2022, energy poverty in Italy among families among the middle classes increased while it decreased among those in the weakest groups: generally speaking, families in energy poverty stand at 2 million, equal to 7.7% of the total.
This is what emerges from the study "Evolution of energy poverty in Italy" carried out by the Italian Observatory on Energy Poverty (Oipe) and presented in collaboration with Fondazione Banco dell'Energia - the non-profit organization that supports families in situations of economic vulnerability and social.
The Oipe study finds that all families have been affected by the increase in energy prices but in different ways: the vulnerable ones, thanks to the support and price containment measures, have suffered the increases less.
In 2022 there was an increase in prices of 500 euros compared to 2021, which pushes the average annual expenditure for electricity and heating by families to 1,915 euros.
A +32%, according to the Oipe analysis, against consumer prices that have grown by 50% and 34.7%, respectively for electricity and gas.
For heating alone, however, spending rose by 29%, also moderated by the general increase in temperatures.
Families in energy poverty are decreasing in the Islands and in the Centre, remaining stable in the North and concentrated more in small towns and suburban areas.
Tuscany and the Marche recorded the lowest percentage with 4.5%, Calabria the highest, with 22.4%.
The latter is also the region with the greatest increase (+5.7 percentage points).
"The reduction of energy poverty in 2022 must be interpreted in a context of huge subsidies granted by the Government and temporary interventions on taxation and tariff components of energy products. It is not a sustainable policy in the medium term and it is necessary to organize a strategy of contrast to the phenomenon is based on rigorous analyzes and targeted tools to reconcile public finance constraints and the effectiveness of interventions which must be intended only for vulnerable families" commented Paola Valbonesi, president of Oipe.
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