A recipe for change: Making energy affordable and efficient for all

Affordable energy is at the heart of Europe’s green and digital transition. With rising energy prices and mounting sustainability pressures, the time to act is now. At the latest European Forum for Manufacturing (EFM) dinner debate, co-hosted with APPLiA, industry experts, and stakeholders came together at the European Parliament to explore the Affordable Energy Action Plan and its potential to shape a more energy-efficient Europe.

Opening the discussion, Paolo Falcioni, Director General of APPLiA, stressed that “home appliances have the unique ability to turn policy into practice – lowering energy bills, cutting consumption, and delivering on Europe’s climate targets without compromising quality of life.” Efficient appliances, he said, are already delivering savings in millions of households and hold untapped potential to do even more, provided the right policy signals are in place.

From the European Commission, Tom Howes, (DG ENER) highlighted the need for pragmatic solutions that can be swiftly implemented. “Affordability must go hand in hand with efficiency. Only by making smarter energy use the default option for consumers can we truly scale up impact,” he said. The Commission’s work on digitalisation, eco-design, and energy labelling was identified as key to empowering consumers and supporting industry innovation.

Echoing this, MEP Letizia Moratti underlined the importance of market-driven approaches, calling for targeted incentives and clear rules to unlock investment in smart technologies. “Europe needs a long-term vision, and that means backing sectors that can deliver affordable and sustainable energy use across value chains,” she said.

The discussion brought to light three critical priorities for action: the need to scale up energy-efficient solutions, ensure regulatory certainty for businesses, and accelerate the integration of digital tools in energy consumption. As Arianna Vitali Roscini, Secretary General of the Coalition for Energy Savings, put it: “Efficiency is Europe’s first fuel – it’s time we treat it as such.”

The dinner debate also provided a platform for stakeholders to highlight the link between energy policy and industrial resilience. Home appliances, designed and manufactured in Europe, stand as a concrete example of how local innovation can deliver global impact.

Looking ahead, the Affordable Energy Action Plan offers an opportunity to build a consumer-centred energy transition—one that is fair, inclusive, and rooted in everyday realities. As the conversation around Europe’s future energy model evolves, recognising the strategic contribution of energy-efficient products will be key to ensuring no household is left behind.