Joint Business Letter: Mandatory MEPS paramount to address high energy prices and achieve EU decarbonisation goals

Together with APPLIA, CLG Europe, EU-ASE, eu.bac, EURIMA, PU Europe, smartEn and Solar Heat Europe, EuroACE wrote to Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson ahead of the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

Soaring energy prices are threatening our economic recovery. Stepping up energy renovations, alongside reducing the share of fossil fuels for heating and cooling, is a systemic solution to lower energy prices for consumers and a crucial step to deliver the long-term EU decarbonisation goals for 2030 and 2050.

Investment in energy renovation is a no-regrets choice. Through a range of highly efficient existing technologies and at affordable costs, it is possible to significantly reduce and optimise energy needs in buildings, directly reducing energy bills. This is particularly important for low-to-middle income households, with the goal of alleviating energy poverty.

Yet, the yearly energy renovation rate in the European Union remains well under 1% of the total building stock. In this context, the revision of the EPBD and the introduction of mandatory Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) can be truly transformative: MEPS should be introduced for all buildings and included in the mapping and roadmaps provided by national Long-Term Renovation Strategies.