Between 2024 and 2026, the URBACT network explored how Getafe’s Energy Poverty Intelligence Unit could be adapted by Maia, Trikala, Pomorie and Etterbeek. Getafe’s model combines data analysis, a trusted one-stop support service and tailored measures at household, building and neighbourhood levels. Yet the project’s most important finding is that successful transfer does not mean reproducing this model exactly.
The network's final report explains the main lessons learnt: cities should transfer principles rather than blueprints, begin with the problem rather than the most attractive technology, and use small tests to reduce uncertainty before committing major resources. Perfect data are not a prerequisite for action: legally accessible municipal information, household surveys, building assessments and the knowledge held by social services can already provide a valuable starting point. More sophisticated intelligence can be developed over time.
The report also reminds us that trust is an essential form of infrastructure. Data and digital tools may help identify vulnerability, but trusted relationships are what allow institutions to reach people. Equally, the most difficult innovation is often not technological but institutional: energy poverty crosses the boundaries between housing, social services, energy, health, climate policy and urban development, while municipal organisations are rarely structured to work across all these fields.
The enduring legacy of EmPowerIngUs is therefore a philosophy of urban innovation based on knowledge, cooperation, experimentation and adaptation. Its message extends well beyond energy poverty. Innovation travels successfully when cities preserve its purpose without freezing its form—and when both the cities sharing an idea and those receiving it are prepared to learn and change.
