How Did the Covid-19 Pandemic Affect the Structure of Energy Final Consumption of the Households Across EU Countries? Findings from Eurostat Data

Access to energy is a key element in the functioning of the state, as it enables various economic, social and political activities. Without it, many sectors of the economy would have no chance to develop, and ordinary people would find it difficult to function on a day-to-day basis. Ensuring accessible, affordable and clean energy for citizens is deeply reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG7). This is closely linked to climate action (SDG13), responsible consumption and production (SDG12) and action against poverty (e.g. by eliminating energy poverty). Households are a key consumer of energy, and their efficient and sustainable use of energy can contribute to reducing energy costs and its impact on the environment. The aim of the presented study was to assess the changes that have occurred in the structure of households’ final energy consumption (FEC) in EU countries between 2019 and 2021. This is an important period for the functioning of economies, as the massive lockdowns resulting from the Covid-19 had a significant impact not only on the amount of energy consumed, but also on the structure of that consumption. The data used in the analysis came from publicly available Eurostat databases. A k-means is used as an analytical tool. The findings reveal that there were no notable alterations in the household sector's energy consumption structure during the period under analysis. This sector of the energy market is considerably less responsive to economic fluctuations compared to prices and relies more on the EU's energy policy.