Abstract
The aim of the article is to present the current challenges related to energy security in terms of heat poverty, based on an analysis of the current situation of households in the town of Biała Rawska, Poland. The main factors that inspired the author to address this issue encompass the increasing importance of energy, including heat, in the quality of the life; the rising prices of energy; the existing correlation between energy security and environmental security, as well as the policy to improve the energy and climate efficiency of Poland by 2030 and its implementation by 2050, which will also become a tool to complement the policy and strategy of the European Union. The research topic focuses on four issues: the state of energy security in terms of heat poverty; the indicators that determine the level of energy security regarding heat poverty; the factors that determine the lack of energy security regarding heat poverty and the challenges in shaping energy security by eliminating heat poverty, based on the example of the analysed town. The research topic discussed in the article is of an empirical nature. To provide a more in-depth analysis of the problem, theoretical, qualitative, and quantitative methods were used along with a diagnostic survey (an in-depth interview with use of the PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview)) conducted among 1200 respondents (households) in the town of Biała Rawska. Furthermore, analytical/synthetic methods were used and conclusions drawn. The applied research questionnaire contained 33 questions, including seven metric questions: gender, education, professional status, number and age of household members, income and place of residence. The basic 26 questions concerned various aspects of household life important in the context of the problem of thermal energy poverty. Therefore, questions were asked about the location, characteristics and technical condition of the inhabited property (questions 1 to 8), thermal comfort (questions 9 to 11), use of social assistance (question 12), heating costs (questions 13 to 16), saving (questions 17 to 19), quality of life, including air quality (questions 20 to 24) and willingness to use renewable energy sources (questions 25 and 26). The survey questionnaire used various types of questions: closed, semi-open and open, single and multiple choice.
This analysis of energy security may be applied not only for learning purposes, but it may also enable the assessment and determination of the scale and scope of the analysed phenomenon in the context of the urgent challenge faced by individuals (households), communities, nations, and states.
The article is the result of research, based on the UGB Research Grant No. 849/2023.
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