Energy poverty in central and eastern Europe: Understanding the European Union’s core-periphery divide

This chapter explores the relationship between spatial and temporal variations in the incidence of energy poverty across the European Union, emphasizing the vulnerabilities faced by Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). We argue that European energy transitions – understood as processes of systemic change in the energy sector – have deepened existing regional inequalities at the macro-scale. The evidence presented in this chapter is based on a comprehensive review of Eurostat datasets. We highlight the persistence of energy poverty in CEE, while arguing that the systemic forces driving this phenomenon need to be seen within the context of deeper regional disparities.