Energy efficiency

KEY POINTS

Directive 2012/27/EU aimed to improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels and included a requirement for all EU countries to set national energy efficiency targets to achieve this. It promotes energy efficiency¹ across the EU through a common framework of measures covering every stage of the energy chain, from generation to distribution and final consumption.

This directive, as revised by Directive (EU) 2018/2002, along with the revised Renewable Energy directive and a new Governance Regulation are part of the Clean Energy for All Europeans package.

The main amendments to the 2012 directive include:

• meeting a 32.5% energy efficiency target by 2030 and anticipating further improvements after that;
• removing barriers in the energy market that obstruct efficiency in the supply and use of energy;
• EU countries to set their own national contributions for 2020 and 2030;
• from 2020, EU countries will require utility companies to help their consumers use 0.8% less energy each year (for Malta and Cyprus 0.24%), which will attract private investment and support new competitors in the market;
• clearer rules on energy metering and billing, strengthening consumer rights, in particular for people living in multi-apartment buildings;
• EU countries must have transparent, publicly available national rules on the allocation of the cost of heating, cooling and hot water services in multi-apartment and multi-purpose buildings where these services are shared;
• strengthening social aspects of energy efficiency by taking energy poverty into account in designing energy efficiency schemes and alternative measures.