Abstract
The household sector contributes significantly to a country’s energy consumption. Energy carrier expenses are the highest expenditures in Polish household budgets. Households run by individuals aged 60 and older are heavily burdened with energy expenditures. The scientific aim of the research is to present and assess housing conditions, with particular emphasis on energy poverty in households run by individuals aged 60 and older. Multivariate statistical analyses were used to conduct the research objectives (cluster methods, variance methods, regression methods). This paper identifies a new index—one that has been applied to the situation in Poland. Households that consist of elderly people are strongly diversified in terms of housing conditions (including energy conditions). There are concerns that some households are not able to access energy services that are required to satisfy basic human needs, particularly individuals with low levels of education, living on social benefits, with low disposable incomes, or living in the countryside. Households represented by men aged 60 and older have better energy supply than households run by women. The older the individual representing the household, the greater the likelihood that his/her energy service needs are not met.
Highlights
Households with a lower affluence ratio are more likely to suffer from energy poverty because their income cannot cover their energy expenditure
Identifying the types of households run by people aged 60 and older who were at risk of energy poverty; Distinguishing the types of households of people 60 and older, according to the characteristics describing the expenses needed to maintain a flat, as well as housing conditions
In cluster V, a large percentage of respondents pointed to architectural barriers hindering access to the residential building. Housing conditions, including those related to energy carriers, in Polish households run by older people appear to be improving
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. In 2019, Polish households, on average, spent 10.2% of their total expenditures on consumer goods and services, in regard to energy carriers (coal, gas, and other fuels). This high value may affect the existence of a significant group of people (i.e., households unable to access energy services required to satisfy basic human needs) and may undoubtedly lead to energy deprivation and poverty. Boundaries, and is not associated to a targeted age range
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