Abstract:

The specific objective of this study is to assess the significance of geothermal energy in counteracting energy poverty of households, as the vital part of the national energy security strategy. There are several reasons why the problem has received increased attention. The primary problem is fulfilling the social and living needs of households. A growing consumption of energy and the resulting problems are the natural consequence and the price paid for the economic growth and civilisation progress. The developing economy, the pursuit of prosperity and the desire to improve the quality of social life - including households - are increasingly dependent on energy and exhibit high sensitivity to any changes related to it, such as energy supply disruption or difficulties in its unrestrained use. Secondly, there is the problem of fuel poverty (or energy poverty) of Polish households, caused by high energy prices and, simultaneously, low financial income of their residents. The third issue is the effect of fuel poverty on ecological security of households. There are several aspects of difficulties experienced by households regarding satisfying basic energy needs at a reasonable price. The problem may consist in maintaining an adequate heat standard (21°C in rooms, and 18°C for other occupied premises), or the strain of securing regular payments for its consumption, which both heavily contribute to the level on which these basic needs of the biological and social functioning are satisfied. The fourth is the implementation of systemic solutions in the socio-economic policy for the benefit of energy security, which currently fails to supply any explicit legal definition of energy poverty. Having properly defined the problem, the authorities could consequently devise instruments understood as the operational form of public intervention (a specific action strategy) aimed to provide a comprehensive solution to this problem. Finally, the fifth pillar is the use of geothermal energy as an alternative source of thermal energy as a measure to reduce low emission and diminish its consequences from the viewpoint of local ecological security.