Energy Consumption in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Households in the Platform Economics

Abstract

The ongoing digitization of the economy has led to the creation and functioning of platform model socio-economic systems. It is also reflected in the changes in patterns of energy consumption in households. In the first cross-section, it is an industrial revolution, with environmental benefits. However, platforms are primarily a revolution in the consumption sphere, and here, the effects of digitization are not fully recognized. Our social needs are increasingly met “through accessibility” without us leaving our home. Due to the home’s multifunctionality, based on the availability of platform services, household energy consumption should be viewed differently today than before. The article aims to show the changes in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) household energy consumption between 2008–2018 and their assessment through the prism of the economy’s platformization methods. The study presents the changes in energy consumption in households and determines the correlations between platformization (the author’s index) and changes in energy consumption in households with the use of taxonomic methods. The platformization leaders—Estonia and Lithuania—were subjected to a more detailed analysis. The presented method(s) may be useful in predicting the changes in households’ energy consumption caused by the digitization of other countries in the region (countries under transformation and outsiders-Bulgaria, Romania), in implementing household energy management systems, and in a better adjustment of regulations directed at these consumers.