Efficiency at home: a head start Europe can’t afford to waste

APPLiA Director General Paolo Falcioni was one of the speakers of last night’s European Forum for Manufacturing (EFM) in the European Parliament, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and experts to discuss the role of energy efficiency technologies in the EU sustainable growth. 

With over a quarter of Europe’s final energy consumption coming from homes, the residential sector represents not just a major challenge, but also the biggest opportunity. As recent EU surveys confirm, energy use at home is the top concern for many Europeans.

Speaking at the event, Falcioni highlighted the critical role home appliances are already playing in delivering substantial energy efficiency gains. “In 2023 alone, energy-efficient appliances generated €120 billion in savings,” he noted, with household energy consumption reduced by 92 million tonnes of oil equivalent. And benefits are expected to rise even further, with projected savings reaching €162 billion annually by 2030.

While Europe has recognised the role of efficient technologies in major initiatives such as the most recent EU Affordable Energy Action Plan, Falcioni emphasised that concrete policy action is needed to ensure more households can actively join the transition. Scaling up impact requires stronger support for consumers, as millions of European families still face financial barriers to accessing high-efficiency appliances. “This is not just about technology, it’s about people,” he underlined. To make the energy transition truly inclusive, Falcioni called for practical financial tools, such as reduced VAT rates and social leasing schemes, that can make energy-efficient solutions accessible to all.

The European Commission echoed this call for inclusive action. DG Energy’s Margot Pinault highlighted energy efficiency as a “pillar of a cost-effective transition” and a source of global competitive advantage. “Energy efficiency is not just a policy but a productivity multiplier” she said. Pinault also stressed the need for immediate national action: “We have a binding EU target to reduce final energy consumption by 11.7% by 2030, but we are not yet on track”. To close the remaining gap to the EU’s 2030 targets, the Commission is launching operational actions, supporting enforcement, and proposing new financing models — including structured “three-party contracts” between providers, offtakers, and policymakers.

Industry representatives across the board reinforced these priorities, stressing the importance of regulatory stability, access to finance and a harmonised Single Market to help scale up deployment of proven technologies. There was a broad consensus that while Europe has a solid policy toolkit in place - from ecodesign to energy labelling - it now needs to focus on implementation, enforcement and making the market work better for consumers and businesses alike. 

Participating Members of the European Parliament  welcomed the discussion as a timely opportunity to reaffirm political support for energy efficiency. The debate, they noted, comes at a crucial moment for Europe’s future competitiveness and industrial strength and provides an opportunity to reaffirm energy efficiency at the core of a secure and sustainable energy model. 

Looking ahead, the message from the debate was united. The technologies exist. The savings are real. The demand is there. What is needed now is the political will to act - and to ensure that energy efficiency becomes a right, not a privilege for every European household.