This week, the Society for Sustainable Development Design (DOOR) has started visiting energy poor households in Zagreb with the goal of fighting energy poverty in Croatia. DOOR’s volunteers will visit 50 household which otherwise receive financial help for their living expenses from the City of Zagreb and the City office for social protection and people with disabilities*.
The volunteers previously attended a presentation organized by DOOR’s employees who are energy experts where they were introduced to the problem of energy poverty in Croatia and the rest of South-East Europe. The volunteers also received practical training which would be useful in the field.
These are not the first visits of this kind in Croatia – DOOR visited another 394 energy poor households last year in the Sisak-Moslavina County. Based on these visits and with the help of the people who live in such conditions, several shorter films were made. Their purpose is to educate people about this problem and raise awareness about the fact that it exists near us and that it is something that must be fought.
The volunteers will conduct a survey during these visits in order to find out important information about these households, e.g. which energy sources they use, how much they pay for them, whether or not their homes are insulated, but they will also ask them about their personal physical and mental health.
Other than the survey, the volunteers will deliver a package of energy efficient tools: energy-saving lightbulbs; aerators for their kitchen or bathroom faucet which should increase the water pressure but decrease the amount of water being wasted; door and window gaskets which should prevent the creation of a draught and keep warmth inside the room; reflective foils for radiators which should stop the waste of heat through walls and windows; an extension cord, a thermometer and a brochure in Croatian entitled „Znanjem do ugodnijeg stanovanja“ which offers additional tips on saving energy.
The aim of these visits is not only to save energy and lower expenses but also to create a warmer and more pleasant living space which will have a positive impact on the physical health and happiness of the people who live in it.
To find out more visit DOOR’s YouTube channel: What is energy poverty? (English subtitles available.)
*The people who were chosen for this project receive financial support for their living expenses in line with the Social Welfare Law (Official Gazette 157/13, 152/14, 99/15, 52/16) and the City of Zagreb’s Social Welfare Act (The Official Journal of the City of Zagreb 26/14, 19/15, 6/16, 16/16, 23/16).