The attitudes of young Polish consumers towards energy costs of smart products

Purpose: The attitudes of young Poles towards smart products and their relationship with the costs of energy supplying smart products are the main research objects in this paper. The smart products market is developing very dynamically, including both simple everyday utility products and durable goods with a significant unit value. The authors point out the existence of a cognitive gap regarding the connection between attitudes towards smart products and attitudes towards using electricity. The authors emphasize that the use of smart products requires universal access to the possibility of topping up these products. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was conducted on a group of young Poles in 2021 as online questionnaire. The study aims to diagnose the attitudes of young Poles towards the location of power sources for smart products and the formalization of access to this power (determining the payer), which will allow in the future to conduct educational activities in the field of optimizing the use of natural resources (energy) as well as marketing activities of smart product suppliers. Findings: The results indicate disproportions in the knowledge and attitudes of young Poles towards costs of energy supplying smart products. Research hypotheses were positively verified. Young consumers do not see energy for smart products as “something” that has a price and must be paid for (access to it). Practical Implications: The conducted research shows that young buyers are not conscious energy buyers and are not aware of the costs of purchasing energy. Moreover, according to the respondents, both now and in the future, access to electricity (sources of energy) that allow powering smart products should be free and universal. Electricity is a product that has a price, and most likely the cost of energy will increase. Hence, it is important to conduct campaigns to make young consumers aware of the cost of energy and the relationship between the use of smart products and energy costs. Originality/Value: The presented results refer to pilot study in Poland. According to the authors, they have a high level of originality, as there are no previous studies in this area known. In turn, the social and economic problems related to the amount of energy consumed and its costs is a civilization challenge across the world.