| 摘要 | 1. Research Purpose
The high oil prices since the early 2000s and greenhouse gas mitigation policies due to climate change have enhanced the requirements for energy price rationalization. These requirements highlight the negative aspects that the energy consumption condition of low-income households are worsening. As essential goods such as energy and foods are difficult to reduce consumption proportionally to the price rises, energy price increases can serve as direct burden for low-income families. In particular, considering the inefficient energy consumption structure due to the relatively poor housing environment and the use of the inefficient old energy products, the energy consumption of low-income families can be seen in danger.
Recognizing the problem, the Korean government announced 'Energy and Welfare Statement' and zero energy poverty in 2007, and five-year plan for national strategy for green growth in 2009. Also the government has operated many programs with regard to energy poverty reduction, such as including the energy bill to the basic livelihood salaries, improving housing energy efficiency, and energy rate discounts.
However, despite the government's goal of zero energy poverty in 2016, the concept of energy poverty and the target of the relevant policies are not clear. The clarification is needed so that the design, promotion, assessment and improvement of the government policies can be done systematically.
This study examines the traditional energy poverty concepts based on Economics and Sociology, and the energy poverty concepts and estimation methods used in the major overseas countries. Then it applies them to Korea and estimates the scale of Korean energy poverty depending on each concept. This research is expected to help to identify the target size of Korean energy and welfare policy and can be utilized as a basis of identifying the size of financial resources and policy evaluation.
2. Results Summary
The rate of energy poverty in Korea was estimated at 6.9% in 2010 by using the fuel cost in minimum cost of living as the baseline of absolute energy poverty. It was estimated at 9.7% when the fuel cost of the next higher layer's upper income was used as the baseline of energy povergy. Using a minimum amount of energy in Park (2011) as the baseline, the rate was estimated to be 8.0%.
When we estimate the scale of energy poverty using fuel cost of minimum living cost as the baseline of relative energy poverty, the energy poverty rate showed 6.5%. It was estimated at 8.4% by using the fuel cost of the next higher layer's upper income as the baseline. The rate reached at 12.6% by using the average fuel cost of the households under the lowest 30% income.
In summary, the scale of energy poverty shows different depending on the concept of energy poverty baseline and the variables used to estimate the baseline. However, the ordinal results of poverty size were same within the same concept of baselines. Therefore, producing poverty line can make it possible to assess the energy welfare policy of the government. Also, the baseline using minimum living cost can be utilized as the basic data of the target size and conditions of the energy welfare policy as it uses the government's official data based on poverty concept.
3. Policy Suggestions
This study did not estimate the necessary energy consumption in energy poverty nor the most effective method of poverty baseline creation in Korea. Regarding this, it suggests the relevant policies as follows:
- The development of subjective indicators of energy poverty
To create subjective energy poverty line, the official energy poverty indicators should be developed through identifying the factors to affect energy poverty most and consistent with the goals of the government energy welfare programs, developing the candidate indicators, and evaluating the indicators.
- The estimation of the minimum requirements of energy consumption
To estimate fuel cost based on energy poverty concept, it is necessary to measure the energy consumption requirements depending on the standard household type and housing attributes.
- The matching of the time between the measurement of minimum living cost and the energy consumption survey
The fuel cost of minimum living cost uses energy consumption in Energy Research Survey, but there is a one-year difference between the measurement of minimum living cost and the survey. That is, the fuel cost data in the minimum living cost measurement are used by adjusting the results of Energy Research Survey which was done two years ago. Therefore, the revision of the relevant legislation is required. |
