Almost half of the Romanians believe that giving up gas-based heating systems is a wrong decisions (survey)

Two-thirds (66%) of the Romanians believe that prosumers contribute to a cleaner environment, while almost half (45%) say that giving up gas-fired heating systems is not a good decision, according to the results of a study published on Thursday.

According to data centralized by the despre-energie.ro platform, a project of the companies E.ON and Delgaz Grid, over half of the respondents (55%) stated that firm measures must be taken to reduce pollution and agree with the objectives of the European Union (EU) to give up fossil fuels, including natural gas, in favour of the massive electrification of transport, buildings, industry and household consumption.

At the same time, 43% of Romanians claim that they do not have enough information to express themselves in one direction or another and consider that an information campaign and explanation of the objectives and measures that are being taken for the purpose of the transition to green energy is necessary.

Also, 66% of the total number of respondents consider prosumers to contribute to a cleaner environment, and almost a quarter (24%) expect to see a decrease in energy prices over time, as a result of the development of renewables.

Asked what they think about the decision of the European forums to gradually eliminate gas-fired heating systems, most of the respondents (45%) stated that this is not a good decision, because Romania has large gas deposits, and gas-fired heating systems, which operate with this fuel, are the main source of heating in our country. However, more than a third of Romanians (36%) are at the opposite pole, claiming that giving up gas-fired heating systems is welcome because they pollute and, in addition, natural gas resources are limited.

According to the study, only 18% of respondents consider themselves well informed regarding developments and decisions in the energy sector in recent years. The majority (55%) say they are "somewhat" informed, and 28% say they feel little or not at all informed.

Regarding the sources of information about the energy sector, the press is the main source for two-thirds of Romanians, followed by the websites of energy and natural gas suppliers (13%), specialized online portals dedicated to the energy sector (11%) and the official websites of the authorities in the field (10%).

At the same time, four out of ten Romanians (39%) emphasise that the authorities should have the main role in informing natural gas and electricity consumers regarding the energy market, while 15% say that this is the responsibility of companies in the sector, 3% claim that it is a role of the press, and 40% believe that it is the common duty of all these actors.

The sociological research was conducted by Sondaje Marketing Relatii Publice SRL for the despre-energie.ro platform, a project of E.ON and Delgaz Grid, between August 26 and September 11, 2024, on a sample of 1,004 online users, with a margin of error of +/-3%.

The despre-energie.ro platform, a project supported by E.ON and Delgaz Grid, was launched in 2020 with the objective of becoming, for electricity and gas consumers, one of the main sources of information and, at the same time, of explaining, in a clear and accessible language, relevant and impactful developments on the energy market.