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1. Without prejudice to their national economic and social policies, and to their obligations under Union law, Member States shall take appropriate measures to empower and protect people affected by energy poverty, vulnerable customers, people in low-income households and, where applicable, people living in social housing. In defining the concept of vulnerable customers pursuant to Article 3(3) of Directive 2009/73/EC and Article 28(1) of Directive (EU) 2019/944, Member States shall take into account final users.

2. Without prejudice to their national economic and social policies, and to their obligations under Union law, Member States shall implement energy efficiency improvement measures and related consumer protection or information measures, in particular those set out in Article 8(3) and Article 22 of this Directive, as a priority among people affected by energy poverty, vulnerable customers, people in low-income households and, where applicable, people living in social housing to alleviate energy poverty. Monitoring and reporting of those measures shall be undertaken in the framework of the existing reporting requirements set out in Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999.

3. To support people affected by energy poverty, vulnerable customers, people in low-income households and, where applicable, people living in social housing, Member States shall, where applicable:

(a) implement energy efficiency improvement measures to mitigate distributional effects from other policies and measures, such as taxation measures implemented in accordance with Article 10 of this Directive, or the application of emissions trading in the buildings and transport sector in accordance with Directive 2003/87/EC;

(b) make the best possible use of public funding available at Union and national level, including, where applicable, the financial contribution that Member States receive from the Social Climate Fund pursuant to Articles 9 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2023/955, and revenues from allowance auctions from emissions trading pursuant to the EU ETS in accordance with Directive 2003/87/EC, for investments into energy efficiency improvement measures as priority actions;

(c) carry out early, forward-looking investments in energy efficiency improvement measures before distributional impacts from other policies and measures show their effect;

(d) foster technical assistance and the roll-out of enabling funding and financial tools, such as on-bill schemes, local loan-loss reserve, guarantee funds, funds targeting deep renovations and renovations with minimum energy gains;

(e) foster technical assistance for social actors to promote vulnerable customer’s active engagement in the energy market, and positive changes in their energy consumption behaviour;

(f) ensure access to finance, grants or subsidies bound to minimum energy gains and thus facilitate access to affordable bank loans or dedicated credit lines.

4. Member States shall establish a network of experts from various sectors such as the health, building and social sectors, or entrust an existing network, to develop strategies to support local and national decision makers in implementing energy efficiency improvement measures, technical assistance and financial tools aiming to alleviate energy poverty. Member States shall strive to ensure that the composition of the network of experts ensures gender balance and reflects the perspectives of all people. Member States may entrust the network of experts to offer advice on:

(a) national definitions, indicators and criteria of energy poverty, energy poor and vulnerable customers, including final users;

(b) the development or improvement of relevant indicators and data sets, pertinent to the issue of energy poverty, that should be used and reported upon;

(c) methods and measures to ensure affordability of living costs, the promotion of housing cost neutrality, or ways to ensure that public funding invested in energy efficiency improvement measures benefit both owners and tenants of buildings and building units, in particular regarding people affected by energy poverty, vulnerable customers, people in low-income households, and, where applicable, people living in social housing;

(d) measures to prevent or remedy situations in which particular groups are more affected or more at risk of being affected by energy poverty or are more susceptible to the adverse impacts of energy poverty such as on the basis of their income, gender, health condition or membership of a minority group, and demographics.