Energy Efficiency – Europe
The European Union has adopted the Europe 2020 strategy, the EU's 10year growth plan. This strategy sets out 5 goals to be achieved by 2020.
Energy plays an integral part.
- we want to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% (or even 30%, if the conditions are right) lower than 1990
- 20% of the energy should come from renewables
- we want to achieve a 20% increase in energy efficiency
In order to achieve this target, the Commission presented in 2011 a
Directive on Energy Efficiency. The Directive was officially adopted in
October 2012, and the deadline for transposition by MS is on 5 June 2014.
Without the Energy Efficiency Directive, Europe would only achieve
approximately 10 % out of 2020. With the legally binding measures introduced by the energy efficiency directive, it is estimated that the EU could reach approximately 17 %.
The Energy Efficiency directive brings forward legally binding measures to step up Member States efforts to use energy more efficiently at all stages of the energy chain – from the transformation of energy and its distribution to its final
consumption. These include:
 the legal obligation to establish energy efficiency obligations
schemes or policy measures in all member states to drive energy efficiency improvements in households, industries and transport sectors,
Focus on buildings: Buildings must be central to the EU's energy efficiency policy, as nearly 40% of final energy consumption (and 36% of

greenhouse gas emissions) is in houses, offices, shops and other buildings.
 an exemplary role to be played by the public sector,
 a right for consumers to know how much energy they consume,
 to encourage energy audits for SMEs and households and an obligation for large companies to assess their energy savings possibilities,
 increased efficiency in energy generation, transmission and distribution.
Improved energy efficiency will help the EU economy to be more competitive, and create growth and up to 400 000 additional jobs.
The EU is importing more than 80% of the oil and 60% of the gas it needs. Achieving the energy efficiency target will not only decrease EU's oil dependence, thus leading to increased energy security, nut will also lead to considerable savings, since it will import 2.6 billion barrels of oil less per year. The money saved (at a conservative 73 eur/barrel per year would reach 193 billion.
Cyprus
Electricity prices for households €/kw, H1 2012: 28, 2 nd highest in
EU
Highest in EU Denmark (30)
Electricity prices for industry €/kw, H1 2012: 24, highest in EU

In CY, oil has the highest share in the energy mix (96%) (2006-
2010)
CY uses almost exclusively oil to produce electricity (99%) (2006-
2010)
In terms of security supply, MT and CY are the most vulnerable countries
Cyprus is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor (which includes
TAP), an initiative by the European Commission aiming to directly and physically link the EU gas market to the largest deposits of gas in the world in the Caspian Sea basin and the Middle East.
In a presentation delivered by President Barroso at the European
Council last May, it was noted that the corridor could be extended to include Cyprus as well.
RES
Renewable Energy Sources (RES) accounted for 8% of EU energy consumption (2006-2010)
CY, IE, LU, NL and the UK have the lowest share of renewables in energy consumption (3-4%) (2006-2010)
CY RES TARGET FOR 2020: 13%
Share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption in
2011: 5.4%

What's in for consumers?
The European Union is providing European consumers with an unprecedented level of protection: protecting vulnerable consumers, stepping up the regulatory powers of supervisory authorities and their ability to impose sanctions and making bills clearer.
 From the point of view of information, energy performance
labelling, brought in by the European Union, means that purchasers of electrical appliances now have all the information they need at their fingertips.
This kind of labelling is now being extended to many domestic electrical, office and other products. It has encouraged manufacturers to offer more energy saving products, helping to reduce bills, as the real retail price of a product does not just include its purchase price but also the cost of using it.
 The end of the monopolies in the electricity and gas markets means that all consumers are free to choose their energy suppliers.
A recent study has estimated that over €13 billion, i.e. €100 per household per year, could be saved by switching electricity and gas supplier.
 National authorities, commonly known as energy ‘regulators’,
have been established by the European Union. Their task is to police the system and represent the interests of the public and therefore consumers. They have extensive powers to punish anticompetitive practices and help consumers to make the best possible choices.
 Europe is lowering energy consumption standards for a whole
range of appliances, from their design to the end of their life: televisions, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, fans, freezers, lamps, etc.
 The most radical change, which will not have escaped anyone in
Europe, has been to put a stop to the production of conventional light bulbs, which have been replaced by energy-saving light bulbs. These bulbs may use up to five

times less energy. Overall, between €5 billion and €10 billion will be saved and channelled back into the economy.
 Energy prices will not necessarily go down, however, as they depend to some extent on world oil prices which are impossible to control. The only real way of reducing your energy bill is therefore to reduce what you consume. If
European energy-saving goals are achieved in 2020, that will mean a yearly saving of €1 000 for every European household.