Vertės įveiklinimas įtraukiant vartotojus į energetikos sektoriuje vykstančius procesus

UTILISATION OF VALUE FOR THE CONSUMER INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROCESSES OF THE ENERGY SECTOR Summary The energy sector plays a significant role in the development of states, organisations, and human life. The acceptability and scale of the involvement are crucial for moving towards a climate ­neutral society and the circular economy. On the one hand, a large part of the public tends to support these developments. On the other hand, a significant share of society is also reluctant to take an active role in the processes taking place in the energy sector and contribute to the achievement of generally accepted goals more quickly. There is a prevailing belief that it is institutions and companies that are primarily responsible for the world and its future, but not customers with their consumption and behavioural habits. In addition, the preconditions for consumer involvement lie in their perceived benefits, which are not limited to the economic or functional value dimensions, but also include emotional and social ones. There is also a need to communicate and educate about the benefits to be perceived. Therefore, the study aims to determine important aspects of utilising the value perceived when aiming at the consumer involvement in the processes taking place in the energy sector. Research on involvement in the energy sector driven by the concept of value and value utilisation has only recently begun and is not abundant. Therefore, an exploratory research strategy was applied to achieve the aim. This strategy is applicable to study the indeterminate relationships between the variables, identify possible directions for further research, and form initial insights. The research combines several meth­ods. The qualitative research approach was used for the analysis from the expert point of view and the interview method was applied. The quantitative survey method was used to determine consumer preferences. Analysis of the results showed that the most important factor determining the choice of electricity supplier is the price offered per kilowatt hour. The supplier’s immediate response to problems and consulting comprise the second most important factor, and the reputation of the electricity supplier is the third major factor determining the choice of electricity supplier. The results suggest that the crucial factor in choosing an electricity supplier is related to the dimension of economic value, then with functional, and, finally, with emotional dimension. Free collection from or near the place of residence has been identified as a key factor in assessing the decision to sort house hold waste, and the second most important factor is the realisation that this activity contributes to mitigating the negative effects on the climate. The third most important factor is the availability of a system similar to the collection of deposit. It can be argued that the most important factor in the decision to sort household waste is related to economic value dimension, then with emotional and, finally, with functional. In addition, the importance of these factors also depends on the age category: in the group of 18–29 years, emotional value dimension occupies a more important place, while in the groups of 30–39 and 40–49 years, it is the economic value dimension that plays a more significant role. The analysis of the results also revealed that information on electricity suppliers and waste sorting should be communicated more intensively and clearly, especially on the websites of official institutions or on social media accounts of institutions and in online media