Due to growing prices of energy the issue of fuel poverty is becoming an alarming issue in Slovenia. Roughly speaking, about one third of the households in Slovenia suffer fuel poverty (by the european definition). However, energy prices are not the only contributing factor. Also of relevance is the poor condition of buildings. 44,5% of low income families and 28% of families with higher income level live in humid and poorly maintained buildings (leaking roof, humid foundations, floor or walls, shattered windows). This means that in Slovenia fuel poverty could be widespread also in households that are not strictly poor.

The action in Slovenia will take place in municipality of Ljubljana with slightly over 276 000 inhabitants. In spite of the relatively high average salary (just over 1000 EUR in 2008), Ljubljana is also a centre for social problems. The unemployment rate is currently at the level of 10,7%. There are 642 households that receive subsidies for renting flats. More than half of the buildings date between 1945 and 1990; this characterizes the flat fund as an energy inefficient one. Average use of electricity in 2009 was 6134 kWh per capita and 2937 kWh of gas per capita, which is higher than the overall Slovene average. Apart from the data above, these are the reasons to select Ljubljana as the site of action in Slovenia: there is high concentration of social flats, which enables relatively easy access to them, wide circle of potential ‘energy advisors’ (from volunteers to unemployed people) is available and there is good access to institutions that must be linked to establish systematic solutions for the fuel poverty problem.

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