Energy Expenditure in Households in Poland: The Scale and Directions of Changes in the Structure of Consumer Expenditure

The main aim of this study was to determine the share of Polish household income allocated to energy, taking into account socioeconomic diversity and income quintile distribution, as well as to identify changes in the burden of energy expenditures on budgets. The importance of this topic stems from the energy transformation of the European Union and the significant increase in energy prices in recent years, which may exacerbate existing energy poverty in Poland. The study utilized numerical data on household budgets published within Polish public statistics. The following measures were used: mean, quintiles, structure indicators, and fixed- and chain-based indices, as well as the relationship between income and expenditure (correlation coefficients). The research was conducted using data from 2014–2022 or selected years within this period. The highest share of energy expenditures in total expenditures was recorded among households of annuitants and farmers. However, annuitant households have the lowest incomes and are most vulnerable to energy poverty. The disparity in energy expenditure between the wealthiest and poorest households has narrowed. Educational efforts on energy efficiency in households should therefore continue, alongside the development of support mechanisms for those with the lowest incomes.