According to the analysis of the Ministry of Space, over a million households in Serbia do not have the ability to provide the necessary amount of energy for a healthy life. And in order to save energy inside the building, which implies energy transition measures, certain investments and an economic standard are necessary, which the citizens of Serbia generally do not have.
If we consume twice as much energy as the member states of the European Union, can we pay for it? The answer is negative.
In Serbia, over a million households live in energy poverty, which by definition means that they live in a state in which the household does not have the ability to provide the amount of energy necessary for a healthy and dignified life in a way that does not endanger other basic life needs of the household or the wider community .
Namely, energy transition measures are necessary in order to save energy inside the building, and this further requires certain investments and an economic standard that the citizens of Serbia generally do not have.
This is one of the conclusions of the Analysis of the Effects of Energy Efficiency Measures on Housing Affordability, a publication of the Ministry of Space, which was presented today. Its author is Nikola Vujković, an expert in energy efficiency.
The state must become much more involved
Analyzes of the housing stock show that as many as 85 percent of buildings in Serbia do not meet minimum energy efficiency standards. Also, the building sector is a large consumer of energy everywhere in the world. In Europe, they consume 40 percent of the total energy, while in Serbia that number reaches as much as 60 percent. Average energy consumption for heating in European countries is about 70 kWh/m2 per year. In contrast, in Serbia, the average consumption is almost twice as high, reaching around 150 kWh/m2 per year, according to the Analysis.
The implementation of energy efficiency measures can be harsh towards those citizens who are of a worse economic status, and there are many of them in Serbia.
In order for this not to happen, it is crucial for the state to be actively involved in increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, but more importantly, family housing facilities, so that these measures include those who need them the most, writes the Analysis.
The measures currently implemented by the state hardly touch this layer of society, that is, they refer to the reduction of bills for electricity, district heating and gas, which does not represent a significant help, because this type of household is mostly heated with wood or coal.
The measures that would initially help would be the replacement of individual fire pits with more efficient ones, subsidies for firewood and larger subsidies for the replacement of carpentry, insulation and installations, according to the Analysis.
The result of these measures would be lower electricity bills, lower housing costs and more opportunities for a quality life for a larger number of citizens.
The rich and the poor
It would not be good if only the wealthier stratum of society passed through the energy transition, while the poor remained with large bills and cold, unlit houses, trapped in a spiral of poverty.
"The energy transition will be successful only if no one is left out of it, otherwise, there will be no reduction in pollution, nor the necessary reduction in the emission of particles harmful to public health, and the gap in society will significantly deepen", says the introduction of the Analysis.
The price of a Big Mac meal in Serbia has doubled in a decade. It is true that average wages have also doubled, but what does the price of a Big Mac tell us about inflation, purchasing power, living standards, and the daily life of citizens who believe that Serbia is an "economic tiger"
The introduction of sanctions on the Serbian oil industry has been announced since the beginning of the year, and several delays followed. What citizens say, who is to blame for the unpredictable future of NIS
Serbia should sign a long-term gas supply contract with Russia, claims Srbijagas director Dušan Bajatović
According to the latest amendments to the Detailed Regulation Plan, the entrances to the tunnel are planned in the extension of the old Sava Bridge, which will be replaced by a new one, and exits on the side of the Danube slope near the MUP building. It takes a year to set up the mole that will dig the tunnel
The General Secretary of the International Bureau for Exhibitions, Dimitri Kerkezes, says that the costs for the Expo in Serbia are up to 1,3 billion euros with all the necessary infrastructure, and that he knows nothing about the 18 billion that the Government of Serbia presented for this project. He emphasizes that it is not a project for an individual or a group, but for the entire nation
Vučić is not defending the state, but himself from the state. With a drum on his back and a guitar in his hands, this man-orchestra performs two or three of the same songs without hearing, with falsifications and falling out of rhythm. His government and politics are like that. In short - dangerous for the environment
Arrests of professors, punishment of people, firing of journalists... The regime of Aleksandar Vučić is shining and is yet to shine. It is the decadent phase of the regime, the one towards the end
The example of the elections in Zaječar and Kosjerić shows that the truth is not given, but assumed. Truth is a task that a citizen fulfills. She always wins
The archive of the weekly Vreme includes all our digital editions, since the very beginning of our work. All issues can be downloaded in PDF format, by purchasing the digital edition, or you can read all available texts from the selected issue.
See all
