AccelerateEU: Cutting energy bills starts with efficient buildings

Efficient Buildings Europe welcomes the European Commission’s “AccelerateEU” Communication, which acknowledges energy efficiency’s key role in buildings as a cost-effective response to soaring energy prices. At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, the strategy rightly positions building efficiency as both an immediate relief measure and a cornerstone of Europe’s long-term resilience.

With buildings accounting for 40% of Europe’s energy consumption, the Commission’s recognition of the energy efficiency sector as a priority sends a strong and timely signal. Measures to reduce energy demand, accelerate electrification, and deploy efficient technologies are key to shielding households and businesses from price volatility.

Efficient Buildings Europe particularly welcomes

• The catalogue of efficient energy savings and system efficiency measures to be presented at the informal meeting of EU Energy Ministers on 13 May.
• The joint work with the European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition to develop financial products for energy efficiency solutions.
• The reallocation of existing EU funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility and Cohesion Policy funds to energy investments, and the exploration of ETS revenues to accelerate electrification in heating.

But delivery matters as much as new measures. Full and timely implementation of existing EU laws, such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Energy Efficiency Directive, ETS2 and Renewable Energy Directive, is essential at the national level. Combined with the announced measures, these frameworks can structurally cut energy bills for citizens and businesses. What is needed now is tight coordination and execution to turn ambition into energy savings.

“The AccelerateEU Communication gets an essential point right: there is no affordable, secure, and competitive Energy Union without efficient buildings. The priority now is delivery. The Commission and Member States must rapidly scale up renovations, efficient electrification, and decarbonised heating and cooling to cut energy bills, boost resilience, and curb reliance on imported fossil fuels. Efficient Buildings Europe and its members stand ready to help turn these commitments into tangible results”

Remi Collombet, Secretary-General of Efficient Buildings Europe.

“The momentum is here: What we long knew was necessary for the energy transition must now be delivered faster, and at scale. AccelerateEU places energy efficiency in buildings as a condition sine qua non to protect citizens from price shocks and boost energy system resilience. The Catalogue must reflect all complementarities: between short and mid-to long term measures, and between demand reduction drivers and decarbonisation ones. This crisis gives us a rare window: let’s not waste it. And let’s stop wasting energy!”

Céline Carré, Head of EU Affairs at Saint-Gobain and President of Efficient Buildings Europe.