In Europe, energy poverty remains a significant challenge, affecting more than 50 million families who struggle to maintain thermal comfort in their homes,
especially in winter. In Portugal, 15.7% of households were unable to adequately heat their homes in 2024, reflecting an aging housing stock with low energy performance and limited air conditioning. Although several measures and strategies have been implemented in recent years, they remain insufficient to ensure universal and affordable access to adequate energy services.
This study aims to analyze the historical evolution of energy poverty in Portugal and across all municipalities at three different points in time—2001, 2011, and 2021—using the Energy Poverty Vulnerability Index developed by Gouveia et al. (2019) and consisting of two sub-indices: the energy performance gap and the population's ability to adopt measures. Housing, demographic, and socioeconomic indicators used to calculate the index were collected and evaluated for the three years under study, supplemented with data from the Household Energy Consumption Survey and national Energy Balances to characterize each municipality's energy consumption. The results demonstrate progress over the three periods analyzed, reflecting the positive impact of various measures, policies, and programs implemented over the last two decades, such as the Social Energy Tariff and Energy Certification of Buildings, among others. Thus, there was a gradual reduction in the average energy performance gaps, both for heating, which fell from 9.3 in 2001 to 8.4 in 2021, and for cooling, whose values decreased from 13.8 to 11.5 in the same period. Despite this progress, significant territorial inequalities persist, especially in inland regions, where an older population and lower adaptive capacity continue to translate into greater vulnerability to energy poverty.
This work provides evidence on the evolution of energy poverty at the municipal level in Portugal, allowing the identification of territorial inequalities and
supporting the operationalization of the National Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty, of the Social Climate Fund, and being aligned with the European Union's objectives for a fair and inclusive energy transition.

Supervisors: João Pedro Gouveia and Pedro Palma