Sixty-seven percent of Poles say the price increases they notice most in the fall are for heating and energy, according to a survey by Santander Consumer Bank. Seventy-one percent of respondents try to monitor these expenses, including 41% who said they do so regularly and in detail.
“Higher energy bills are felt most by village residents (72% of responses) and least by people living in big cities (62%). At the same time, this challenge affects mainly people in their fifties (77%) and those over 60 (74%). In the 18-29 age group, the figure was 41%. Such a clear generational gap may stem from the fact that young adults often live in family homes, where the burden of electricity or heating bills usually falls on their parents, or rent apartments and split the costs among more people,” said Monika Kasprzyk, director of the Direct Sales Product Development Center at Santander Consumer Bank.
According to the survey, 67% of respondents see the biggest fall price increases in heating and energy costs. Higher spending on health, such as doctor visits, medication or supplements, was cited by 40% of those surveyed, purchases of clothing and footwear by 34%, and increased spending on children, including school supplies, clothes and extracurricular activities, by 21%. Respondents less often pointed to entertainment and culture outside the home and to spending on hobbies and interests, at 9% each. Price increases for home accessories were noticed by 7%, for digital entertainment and for education and self-development by 6% each, and for grooming treatments and cosmetics by 5%.
Seventy-one percent of survey participants said they analyze their electricity, gas or heating bills. Of those, 41% do so regularly and in detail, comparing bills with the same periods of the previous year.
Careful checking of bills is most often reported by people over 60, at 44%, and people in their thirties, at 43%, and least often by people in their forties, at 36%.
Thirty percent of respondents limit themselves to checking the total amount due. This is also the most common approach among village residents (36%, compared with 26-29% in the other groups). Fourteen percent, although they do not monitor their bills on an ongoing basis, notice changes when the amount is clearly higher than usual. Meanwhile, 7% of respondents pay their bills without any analysis.
Respondents were also asked about preparing their homes for winter. The largest share of people (24% each) plan to have their heating system inspected or serviced, seal windows and doors, or buy a stockpile of coal, wood or pellets. Buying fuel is most often mentioned by village residents (38%, compared with 11% of people in big cities). The authors of the survey noted that this difference stems from the specifics of local housing.
Among other tasks planned before the heating season, Poles next mention protecting a garden, terrace or balcony against frost (19%) and inspecting the electrical or gas system (16%). Thirteen percent intend to buy snow-removal equipment or de-icing products, and 10% plan to get additional heat sources, such as space heaters or electric blankets. Eight percent of respondents plan to insulate walls, pipes or attics. Meanwhile, 24% said they do not need to do any additional work.
The survey was conducted for Santander Consumer Bank by the Institute for Market and Social Research (IBRiS) on Sept. 17-29, 2026, on a sample of 1,000 adult Poles. (PAP)
