Citizens fight fuel poverty in France

Mar 16, 2025Clean Energy, France, Inspiring initiative

ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

French citizen-led initiative fights fuel poverty with innovative method

The citizen-led initiative Energie Solidaire collects funds and disburses them to organisations that carry out concrete programmes to fight fuel poverty. The initiative was founded in 2017 by a group of citizens committed to the energy transition and wishing to act against fuel poverty. It aims to create new links of solidarity between consumers, as well as between producers and consumers.

Energy donations
The association has developed a new and innovative type of donation, namely that of energy donations from energy producers. As such, Energie Solidaire implements innovative fundraising mechanisms via micro-donations from consumers of the electricity supplier Enercoop, as well as via energy donations from small electricity producers associated with this supplier.

Project support
The initiative also organises a project call for associations that set up programmes to combat fuel poverty, and monitors the supported programmes. Consequently, Energie Solidaire supports several associations and their associated programmes each year. In 2021, the funds paid to the associations reached €100,000.

For low-income households
Vulnerable groups targeted by the initiative include urban and rural households which struggle to afford the energy costs for thermal comfort or other energy services.