“Energy for Life”: Ten stages in which the Smart Energy Association turned on the light in houses that were never electrified

The Smart Energy Association completed last week the tenth stage of the “Energy for Life” project, through which it electrified, by installing photovoltaic panels, 11 isolated households, located in the hamlets of Gura Mili and Bontu Sec, belonging to the communes of Siriu and Groapa Ceciliei, Mățara and Aluniș in the commune of Colți, Buzău county, which were never connected to the electricity grid and which had no real chance of receiving energy in the near future.

According to the “National Electronic Registry of Households Without Electricity in Romania” (RENGEER), which includes the inventory of homes not connected to the electricity grid in Romania, in Buzău county there were, at the time of its launch, in April 2024, 55 homes without electricity. The National Electronic Registry of Households Without Electricity in Romania was developed, with the support of the Ministry of Energy, as a tool to measure the degree of extreme energy poverty in our country and represents an important step towards eradicating this phenomenon because it constitutes the starting point both for the development of public policies regarding the reduction of extreme energy poverty in our country, and for the undertaking of actions to effectively reduce this phenomenon such as the “Energy for Life” project.

RENGEER was published in April 2024 and revealed a number of 5,494 households without electricity, inhabited by 11,611 people, of which 4,777 are under the age of 18. It is worrying that 87% of houses without electricity do not have a cadaster, which makes it difficult to approach the institutional solution to this problem. Moreover, 64% of people living in houses without electricity have estimated incomes below the minimum income per person and household in Romania, which would make it difficult to pay for the electricity consumed. Also, in 53% of cases, access to buildings without electricity is difficult, and for 10% there are no access roads.

“Energy for Life is a “10” project, and I refer here both to the fact that we have managed to implement ten stages of this approach so far, and to the impressive mobilization it has enjoyed. Since the first stage carried out in June 2021, the project has gathered around it an impressive community of supporters – companies, volunteers, media representatives. Moreover, we obtained the support of the Ministry of Energy in the inventory of unelectrified homes in Romania and thus we have a clear record of the areas where our involvement is most needed and, at the same time, a tool with which we can measure the progress that Romania is making in reducing the phenomenon of extreme energy poverty. “Zero homes without electricity” in Romania remains our goal and we have set out to continue this project and bring a drop of “normality” to unelectrified homes, by installing photovoltaic panels” said Monica David, President, Smart Energy Association, Energy for Life project coordinator.

“Within OMV Petrom, we believe that the sustainable energy transition begins with concrete projects, built in partnership with communities and academia. Our support for initiatives such as Energy for Life reflects the commitment to invest in innovation, energy efficiency and education for a more sustainable future”, the OMV Petrom team said about this collaboration. At OMV Petrom, we believe that the sustainable energy transition begins with concrete projects, built in partnership with communities and academia. Our support for initiatives like Energy for Life reflects our commitment to investing in innovation, energy efficiency and education for a more sustainable future” 

“SNTGN Transgaz S.A is an involved and dedicated partner to initiatives that generate positive and real impact in people’s lives and we support projects that bring transformation to the communities in which we operate. Transgaz’s involvement in the “Energy for Life” project, now in its tenth stage, reflects our constant commitment to social responsibility and the concrete support provided to communities in situations of vulnerability. By actively involving itself in the “Energy for Life” project, Transgaz reaffirms its role as a strategic partner in promoting social cohesion and energy equity, while also aligning itself with national and European objectives in the field of sustainability. By collaborating with relevant actors from the public and private sectors, we aim not only to respond to immediate needs, but also to contribute to building a fairer, more sustainable future. The Energy for Life project is an example of concrete action that translates into practice the values ​​that Transgaz promotes: solidarity, responsibility and progress” – the Transgaz team.

“Energy for Life” was launched in the summer of 2021 with the aim of raising the alarm regarding extreme energy poverty in Romania. The project enjoyed a strong response and received support from companies and media representatives, which made its implementation possible.

Following the conclusion of the Partnership for Combating Energy Poverty in Romania between the Smart Energy Association and the Ministry of Energy in the fall of 2023, the “Energy for Life” project is being carried out under the umbrella of this agreement. In the last 5 years of activity, the Smart Energy Association has electrified 71 buildings in 35 hamlets, located in 8 counties. The tenth edition of “Energy for Life” was made possible thanks to the support of the project partners: OMV Petrom and Transgaz.

Media partners: The Economist, Financial Intelligence, The Diplomat-Bucharest, Spot Media, Club Antreprenor, InvesTenergy, Focus Energetic, Energy Industry Review, Energy Center, Energy Magazine, NewsEnergy, Ziarul Pozitiv, EM 360 Studio, Club Economic and Romania Durabila.

Together with partners, the project brought a ray of hope into the lives of families living in homes lacking “normality”, most of them being on the verge of poverty.