There are many clear benefits to improving energy efficiency, including increased energy security, a more sustainable environment, improved quality of life and economic competitiveness. However attempts to increase energy efficiency are undermined by inadequate national policy and legislative frameworks, or a failure to implement them fully. To overcome this inertia, countries have developed ambitious but ineffective energy efficiency polices aimed at households and utilities. There is clear evidence that energy efficiency measures can be cost effective. For example, starting in 2014, Italy offered a 55% tax deduction for energy efficiency investments in the residential sector (subsequently increased to 65% for some measures). Between 2007 and 2013 more than 1.8 million applications were approved and households accessed around EUR 23 billion of investments, at a cost of about EUR 13 billion in undiscounted forgone tax revenue.