Heating practices in slovenian households: Socio-spatial and structural drivers of energy choices

The European Union aims to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by increasing renewable energy use, including sustainable wood biomass. Achieving these goals requires an understanding of heating practices at both national and household levels. This study explores heating patterns in Slovenian households, focusing on wood-based fuels and the influence of socio-demographic, spatial, and structural factors on heating choices and energy consumption. Survey results indicate that firewood is the primary heating source in Slovenia, reflecting the high proportion of forest owners. When heating energy sources are grouped by category, wood fuels dominate among households with multiple heating systems, accounting for 36% of those households. Among single-system households, fossil fuels lead (31%), followed by electricity (30%). Firewood is the most common wood fuel, followed by pellets, chips, briquettes, and residues. Rural households rely heavily on wood fuels, whereas urban households prefer fossil fuels or electricity. Overall, the median wood-fuel consumption is 66.2 GJ per household per heating season. Heating patterns are strongly linked to building characteristics. Individual systems prevail in single- and two-family houses, while collective systems are typical of multi-apartment buildings. Forest owners, mainly living in rural single-family homes, source firewood from their own forests and show little willingness to change their practices. These findings underscore the need to integrate socio-spatial and structural factors into renewable energy policy. Promoting efficient biomass use, replacing outdated appliances, developing markets for small-diameter wood, and expanding modern district heating systems based on sustainably sourced wood biomass could accelerate Slovenia’s progress towards climate neutrality and support EU renewable energy and air quality objectives.