Inclusive Renovation: Reaching vulnerable groups and tackling energy poverty

This session explores how renovation initiatives can address energy poverty and ensure inclusivity for vulnerable groups. Speakers from the projects Multicare, FORTESIE, the initiative Citizen-led renovation (CLR), and SUPERSHINE will share practical approaches and lessons learned from their work across Europe. The discussion will highlight strategies for engaging hard-to-reach communities and creating equitable renovation pathways that leave no one behind. 

It will explore how the Citizen-led renovation initiative places vulnerable households at the centre of the renovation wave by combining trust-building, tailored communication, and accessible technical and financial support. Drawing on tools such as the energy-persona workshops, motivation videos, and the How-to citizen-led renovation guidance, it demonstrates how CLR pilots reached underserved groups, addressed awareness and trust barriers, and created renovation pathways that are both socially inclusive and financially feasible. Practical lessons from Belgium, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Spain will illustrate how targeted local engagement can reduce energy poverty while strengthening community resilience.