Perception of district heating in Europe: A deep dive into influencing factors and the role of regulation

Anna Billerbeck, Barbara Breitschopf, Sabine Preuß, Jenny Winkler, Mario Ragwitz and Dogan Keles

Energy Policy, 2024, vol. 184, issue C

Abstract: To increase the deployment of district heating in line with European targets, there is a need to understand consumer perceptions and the role of regulations. Therefore, this paper focuses on consumer perceptions of district heating and analyses the influencing factors. The analysis uses data from an online survey with 4388 participants from nine European countries. In particular, the paper discusses the impact of socio-demographic factors, attitudes and regulations on the perception of district heating. Statistical analyses show that respondents from Denmark and Sweden have the most positive perception, while respondents from Lithuania and the Netherlands have a less positive perception of district heating. In addition, the results indicate that respondents from countries with no mandatory connection, liberalised price regulation and mainly public ownership seem to have a more positive perception of district heating, higher satisfaction when using district heating and a more positive rating of their heating price than those from countries with mandatory connection, regulated prices and a more mixed ownership structure. Overall, the paper provides a first overview of possible factors influencing the perception of district heating and indicates that the mix of appropriate regulations and, in particular, their combined impact, could play an important role in perception.

Keywords: Consumer perception; District heating; Heating policy; Monopoly regulation; Social acceptance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:184:y:2024:i:c:s0301421523004457

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113860

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