With its recent proposal for a recast Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), the European Commission (Commission) has recognized the need to increase ambition on energy savings in order to meet 2030 and 2050 climate objectives. To meet these objectives more action is required in all segments of society. Citizens, for their part, are increasingly mobilizing through their own community, developing initiatives around the uptake of renewable energy and the adoption of energy savings measures.

Such initiatives were recently acknowledged in the Clean Energy for All Europeans legislative Package (CEP), which defined and established supportive provisions for Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) and Citizen Energy Communities (CECs). While the role of energy communities in achieving energy savings was acknowledged in the CEP, there were no references to energy communities in the EED. With its recent proposal, the Commission has attempted to rectify this policy gap. Now is the opportunity to build upon the Commission’s proposal to ensure that energy communities are able to receive sufficient policy and financial support in order to maximize their role in addressing energy savings at household level, as well as ensuring an inclusive and fair energy transition where no one is left behind.

In this position paper, REScoop.eu presents recommendations to maximise the potential for citizens and their communities to help deliver energy savings obligations.