Enerji Yoksulluğu ve Covid-19 Salgını: Artan Eşitsizlikler ve Ülkeler Tarafından Alınan Önlemler

Year 2022, , 28 - 42, 31.03.2022

Cemre Pehlivanoğlu , Mutlu Yılmaz

https://doi.org/10.15869/itobiad.907423

Abstract

Covid-19 salgını yalnızca sağlık alanında yaşanılan küresel bir kriz durumunu değil, aynı zamanda eşitsizliklerin derinleştiği adalet/eşitlik krizlerini de temsil etmektedir. Eğitim, sağlık ve gelir alanında geçmişten günümüze devam eden eşitsizlikler Covid-19’un dünya genelinde yayılması ile birlikte giderek artmış ve bu eşitsizliklerin geniş çaplı önlemlerle ele alınması gerektiğini ülkelere bir kez daha hatırlatmıştır. Küresel ölçekte yaklaşık olarak 940 milyon insanın enerjiye erişimi olmadığı veya var olan erişimlerin de yetersiz bir seviyede olduğu bilinmektedir. Covid-19 salgını döneminde bireyleri evde kalmaya zorlayan önlemler ve ekonomik daralma sonucu azalan veya tamamen kaybedilen gelir, artan ev içi enerji talebini karşılamak açısından hanehalkını çıkmaza sokmaktadır. Ülkelerin bu tip durumlarda tüketicileri korumaya yönelik politik müdahaleleri özellikle ekonomik tabanlı değişimlere uyum sağlama kapasitesi düşük olan haneler için hayati bir önem taşımaktadır. Çalışma, enerji yoksulluğu ve Türkiye’nin de içinde bulunduğu 6 Avrupa ülkesinin salgına yönelik aldığı önlemlere ilişkin kapsamlı bir literatür taraması sonucu elde edilen bilgilerin analizine dayanmaktadır. Bu kapsamda Covid-19 salgınının enerji yoksulluğu ile olan ilişkisi ele alınarak, salgın sürecinde ülkelerin almış olduğu politika önlemleri irdelenmiş ve bu politikaların enerji yoksulluğu ile mücadele boyutundaki etkisi üzerinde durulmuştur. Yapılan inceleme sonucunda, mevcut ülkelerin doğrudan enerji alanına yönelik müdahalelerinin yetersiz olduğu görülmüştür. Ülkeler daha çok nakit bazlı yardımlara odaklanmış ve sadece birkaç ülke enerji alanında tüketicileri korumak için bağlantı kesme yasakları, enerji faturalarına yönelik fiyat düzenlemesi ve borç erteleme gibi önlemlere başvurmuştur. Yapılan nakit yardımlar tüketiciler için önemli bir destek görevi görse de sonuçları eğitim, sağlık ve sosyal yaşam gibi alanlarda eşitsizliklere yol açan enerji yoksulluğu, bu yardımlar arasında geri planda kalmaktadır.

Keywords

Enerji Yoksulluğu, Covid-19, Enerji Politikası, Kırılgan Tüketiciler, Eşitsizlik

Energy Poverty and Covid-19 Pandemic: Increasing Inequalities and Measures Taken by Countries

Abstract

Covid-19 Pandemic represents not only global health crisis, but also justice/equality crisis in which inequalities deepened. Spread of Covid-19 around the world has gradually increased the ongoing inequalities in education, health and income since the beginning, and also reminded countries that these inequalities must be handled through widespread measures. It is known that 940 million people do not have access to energy or their access is at insufficient level. Decreasing or lost incomes due to measures forcing individuals to stay at home and economic recession, put household at a dead end in terms of meeting increased energy demand at home. Countries' political intervention to protect consumers in such cases, plays crucial role for households having low capacity to adapt to economic changes. This study is based on information analysis obtained as a result of extensive literature review on energy poverty and measures taken against the pandemic by 6 EU countries including Turkey. Considering the relationship between Covid-19 pandemic and energy poverty, this study examines political measures taken by countries and dwells on their effect in terms of fight against energy poverty. It was concluded that measures were insufficient in terms of diminishing households' energy poverty risk. As a result of the examination, it was seen that the interventions of the existing countries in the energy field were lacking. Countries have focused more on cash subsidies, and only a few countries have found ways to protect consumers in the energy field, such as disconnection bans, price regulation on energy bills, and debit delays. Even though the monetary supports are an important support for consumers, inequalities occur in areas such as education, health and social life as a result of energy poverty and falls behind among these aids.

Keywords

Energy Poverty, Covid-19, Energy Policy, Vulnerable Consumer, Inequality

References

• Amendola, A., Bianchi, S., Gori, M., Colzani, D., Canuti, M., Borghi, E., Raviglione, M. C., Zuccotti, G. V., Tanzi, E. (2021). Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in an Oropharyngeal Swab Specimen, Milan, Italy, Early December 2019. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 27(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2702.204632
• Baker, W., Ambrose, A., Brierley, J., Butler, D., Marchand R., Sherriff, G. (2020). Stuck at Home in a Cold Home: The Implications of Covid-19 for the Fuel Poor. People, Place and Policy, 14(1), 2-5. doi: 10.3351/ppp.2020.3447683949
• BEUC, (2020). Tackling energy poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Erişim adresi: https://www.beuc.eu/blog/covid-19-energypoverty/
• Blustein, L. D., Duffy, R., Ferreira, A. J., Cohen-Scali, V., Cinamon, G. R., Allan, A. B. (2020). Unemployment in the time of COVID-19: A research agenda, Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection, 119: 103436. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103436
• BM Türkiye, (2020). Türkiye Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları çalışmalarımız, Erişim adresi: https://turkey.un.org/tr/sdgs
• Bouzarovski, S., Petrova, S. (2015). A global perspective on domestic energy deprivation: Overcoming the energy poverty–fuel poverty binary, Energy Research & Social Science, 10, 31-40. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.06.007
• Bundesministerium der Finanzen, (2021). Um¬fang¬rei¬che Er¬wei¬te¬rung der Co¬ro¬na-Hil¬fen, Erişim adresi: https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/Standardartikel/Themen/Schlaglichter/Corona-Schutzschild/2020-10-29-neue-corona-hilfen.html
• Choose, (2020). Energy bills are naturally higher during the winter months, but there is help available for the poorest households, Erişim adresi: https://www.choose.co.uk/guide/help-to-pay-heating-bills-winter.html
• Colfer, B. (2020). Herd‐immunity across intangible borders: Public policy responses to COVID‐19 in Ireland and the UK. European Policy Analysis, 6(2), 203-225. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/epa2.1096
• Deloitte, (2020). COVID-19 measures: An Overview on 26 countries across Europe, Erişim adresi: https://www2.deloitte.com/dl/en/pages/legal/articles/covid-19-measures-europe.html
• Deslandes, A., Berti, V., Lambotte, T. Y., Alloui, C., Carbonnelle, E., Zahar, R. J., Brichler, S., Cohen, Y. (2020). SARS-CoV-2 was already spreading in France in late December 2019. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, 55(6) 106006. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.106006
• Djalante, R., Shaw, R., Dewit, A. (2020). Building resilience against biological hazards and pandemics: COVID-19 and its implications for the Sendai Framework. Progress in Disaster Scienc, 6, 100080. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdisas.2020.100080
• DW, (2020). Erdoğan: Dar gelirlilere nakit 1000 TL destek verilecek, Erişim adresi: https://p.dw.com/p/3a2O1
• Gentilini, U., Almenfi, M., Dale, P. (2020). Social Protection and Jobs Responses to COVID-19: A Real-Time Review of Country Measures. Erişim adresi: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/33635
• Gouvernement.fr, (2020). Aider les personnes qui en ont besoin, Erişim adresi: https://www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus/publics-vulnerables
• Gouvernement.fr, (2021). Les actions du Gouvernement, Erişim adresi: https://www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus/les-actions-du-gouvernement
• Gov.Uk, (2020). Work and financial support, Erişim adresi: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/worker-support?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae
• Healy, D. J., Clinch, P. J. (2004). Quantifying the severity of fuel poverty, its relationship with poor housing and reasons for non-investment in energy-saving measures in Ireland. Energy Policy, 32(2), 207-220. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-4215(02)00265-3
• Heffron, J.R., McCauley D. (2017). The concept of energy justice across the disiplines. Energy Policy, 105, 658-667.
• International Energy Agency [IEA], (2020a). Global Energy Review 2020, Erişim adresi: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2020
• IEA, (2020b). Sustainable Recovery: World Energy Outlook Speical Report, Erişim adresi: https://www.iea.org/reports/sustainable-recovery/covid-19-and-energy-setting-the-scene
• Initiative for Energy Justice, (2020). The Energy Justice Workbook – Table of Contents, Erişim adresi: https://iejusa.org/section-1-defining-energy-justice/
• International Monetary Fund [IMF], (2021). Policy Responses to Covid-19, Erişim adresi: https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/imf-and-covid19/Policy-Responses-to-COVID-19#F
• KPMG, (2020). Poland: Government and institution measures in response to Covid-19, Erişim adresi: https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/04/poland-government-and-institution-measures-in-response-to-covid.html
• Kyprianou, I., Serghides, K.D., Varo, A., Gouveia, P.J., Kopeva, D., Murauskaite, L. (2019). Energy poverty policies and measures in 5 EU countries: A comparative study. Energy and Buildings, 196, 46-60. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.05.003
• La Moncloa, (2020). Guía de medidas urgentes en el ámbito social y económico para hacer frente al COVID-19, Erişim adresi: https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/covid-19/Paginas/medidas.aspx
• Legifrance, (2020). LOI n° 2020-290 du 23 mars 2020 d'urgence pour faire face à l'épidémie de covid-19 (1), Erişim adresi: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000041746313/
• Lima, F., Ferreira, P., Leal, V. (2020). A Review of the Relation between Household Indoor Temperature and Health Outcomes. Energies, 13(11), 2881. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/en13112881
• Mastropietro, P., Rodilla, P., Batlle, C. (2020a). Emergency measures to protect energy consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic: A global review and critical analysis. Energy Research & Social Science, 68, 101678. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101678
• Mastropietro, P., Rodilla, P., Batlee, C. (2020b). Measures to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak impact on energy poverty: Preliminary analysis based on the Italian and Spanish experiences, Erişim adresi: https://www.energypoverty.eu/publication/measures-tackle-covid-19-outbreak-impact-energy-poverty-preliminary-analysis-based
• Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze [MEF], (2020). Protect health, support the economy, preserve employment levels and incomes, Erişim adresi: https://www.mef.gov.it/en/inevidenza/Protect-health-support-the-economy-preserve-employment-levels-and-incomes-00001/
• Mohan, G., (2020). Household Energy Poverty and Children’s Health, Erişim adresi: https://www.esri.ie/publications/household-energy-poverty-and-childrens-health
• Nagaj, R., Korpysa, J. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on the Level of Energy Poverty in Poland. Energies, 13(18), 4977. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/en13184977
• Naumann, E., Möhring, K., Reifenscheid, M., Wenz, A., Rettig, T., Lehrer, R., Krieger, U., Juhl, S., Friedel, S., Fikel, M., Cornesse, C., Blom, G. A. (2020). COVID‐19 policies in Germany and their social, political, and psychological consequences. Europan Policy Analysis, 6 (2), 191-202. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/epa2.1091
• Oliveras, L., Peralta, A., Palencia, L., Gotsens, M., Lopez, J. M., Artazcoz, L., Borrell, C., Mari-Dell’Olmo, M. (2021). Energy poverty and health: Trends in the European Union before and during the economic crisis, 2007–2016. Health & Place, 102294. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102294
• O’Sullivan, K. C., Howden-Chapman, P. L. & Fougere, G. (2011). Making the connection: The relationship between fuel poverty, electricity disconnection, and prepayment metering. Energy Policy, 39, 733–741. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.10.046
• Protezione Civile, (2020). Decreto Legge del 23 febbraio 2020 n.6 - Misure urgenti in materia di contenimento e gestione dell'emergenza epidemiologica da COVID-19, Erişim adresi: http://www.protezionecivile.it/amministrazione-trasparente/provvedimenti/-/content-view/view/1215252
• Protezione Civile, (2020). Decreto Legge del 23 febbraio 2020 n.6 - Misure urgenti in materia di contenimento e gestione dell'emergenza epidemiologica da COVID-19, Erişim adresi: http://www.protezionecivile.it/amministrazione-trasparente/provvedimenti/-/content-view/view/1215252
• Ready Study Go Poland, (2020). New Regulations by Polish Government are Announced Due To COVID-19, Erişim adresi: https://go-poland.pl/news/new-regulations-polish-government-are-announced-due-covid-19
• Ritchie, H. (2019). Access to Energy. Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: https://ourworldindata.org/energy-access
• Sağlık Bakanlığı, (2020). Covid-19 Haftalık Durum Raporu 19/10/2020-25/10/2020 Türkiye, Erişim adresi: https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/TR-68443/covid-19-durum-raporu.html
• Sarı, R., Voyvoda, E., Lacey-Barnacle, M., Karababa, E., Topal, C., İslambay, D. (2017). Energy justice - a social sciences and humanities cross-cutting theme report. Cambridge: SHAPE ENERGY.
• SEAI, (2021). Warmth and Wellbeing Pilot Scheme, Erişim adresi: https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/free-upgrades-for-eligible-homes/warmth-and-wellbeing/
• Serwis Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, (2020). Rozszerzamy Tarczę Antykryzysową: wiele nowych rozwiązań dla firm, pracowników i rolników, Erişim adresi: https://www.gov.pl/web/koronawirus/rozszerzamy-tarcze-antykryzysowa-nowych-rozwiazan-dla-firm-pracownikow-i-rolnikow
• Statista, (2021a). Number of new Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases confirmed in Poland from 2020 to 2021, Erişim adresi: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105153/poland-coronavirus-covid-19-new-cases/
• Statista, (2021b). Cumulative number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the United Kingdom (UK) since January 2020, Erişim adresi: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101958/cumulative-coronavirus-cases-in-the-uk/
• Stoecklin, B. S., Rolland, P., Silue, Y., Mailles, A., Campese, C., Simondon, A., Mechain, M., Meurice, L., Nguyen, M., Bassi, C., Yamani, E., Behellil, S., Ismael, S., Nguyen, D., Malvy, D., Lescure, X. F., Georges, S., Lazarus, C., Tabai, A., Stempfelet, M., Enouf, V., Coignard, B., Bruhl-Levy, D. (2020). First cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in France: surveillance, investigations and control measures, January 2020. Euro Surveill, 25(6). doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.6.2000094
• Uswitch, (2020). Stay-at-home Britons could spend an extra £52 million a week on energy bills, Erişim adresi: https://www.uswitch.com/media-centre/2020/03/stay-home-britons-spend-extra-52-million-week-energy-bills/
• Working group for the surveillance and control of COVID-19 in Spain, (2020). The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: characterisation of cases and risk factors for severe outcomes. Eurosurveillance, 25(50). doi: https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.50.2001431