## 6 Conclusions  
This study investigates the influence of regulatory factors on household natural gas consumption in the western region of Ukraine. Our analysis employed various statistical \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Group***} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**\(t\)-Test Statistical**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Test for the Significance**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Granger Causality Test**} \\  & **Significance of the** & & & & & \\  & **Coefficients of Regression** & & & & & \\ \hline  & \(H_{0}\) **Is** & \(H_{0}\) **Is Not** & \(H_{0}\) **Is Not** & \(H_{0}\) **Is Not** & \(H_{0}\) **Is** & \(H_{0}\) **Is Not** \\  & **Rejected** & **Rejected** & **Rejected** & **Rejected** & **Rejected** & **Rejected** \\ \hline n/a & 100 & 0 & 100 & 0 & 80 & 20 \\ \hline
1 & 85.55 & 14.45 & 86.58 & 13.42 & 94.51 & 5.49 \\ \hline
2 & 87.64 & 12.36 & 87.59 & 12.41 & 94.34 & 5.66 \\ \hline
3 & 87.48 & 12.52 & 88.57 & 11.43 & 95.69 & 4.31 \\ \hline
6 & 93.8 & 6.2 & 96.73 & 3.27 & 99.44 & 0.56 \\ \hline
7 & 93.34 & 6.66 & 96.2 & 3.8 & 99.73 & 0.27 \\ \hline
8 & 88.8 & 11.2 & 91.06 & 8.94 & 97.14 & 2.86 \\ \hline
9 & 87.5 & 12.5 & 87.5 & 12.5 & 97.5 & 2.5 \\ \hline
14 & 94.31 & 5.69 & 98.42 & 1.58 & 99.57 & 0.43 \\ \hline
15 & 94.33 & 5.67 & 97.95 & 2.05 & 99.54 & 0.46 \\ \hline
16 & 94.65 & 5.35 & 97.45 & 2.55 & 99.4 & 0.6 \\ \hline
17 & 92.21 & 7.79 & 96.1 & 3.9 & 100 & 0 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} \({}^{\text{st}}\) Groups of consumers 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are not represented in the Western region of Ukraine.  
\end{table} 
Table 2: Summary of research results using all applied models for different categories of consumers (source: authors’ development). Figure 11: Granger causality test for “the volume of gas consumption per month” and “the natural gas cost of 1 m\({}^{3\sigma}\) (source: authors’ development). tools, including linear regression, Pearson correlation and Granger causality tests, to evaluate this hypothesis. The statistical tools we applied for our research revealed an insignificant level of regulatory factors influencing the volume of natural gas consumption by domestic consumers. Analyzing the obtained results, we consider all models that testify to the absence of statistically significant levels of influence of regulatory factors, both in the sample as a whole and in the section of individual groups of consumers. In particular, the Granger causality criterion reflects the lowest result (2.47% compared to 6.88% in the test for the significance of the correlation coefficient and 9.23% in the \(t\)-test statistical significance of the coefficients of regression), indicating that past values of variable X (\"the natural gas cost of 1 m\({}^{3\prime\prime}\)\") do not Granger-cause variable Y (\"the volume of gas consumption per month\"). Meanwhile, the most sensitive model that can be applied to the study of economic data is precisely the Granger causality test, which is followed in our research. Separate attention should be paid to the absence of statistically significant levels of influence of regulatory factors in any of the individual groups of consumers, which provides additional confirmation of our conclusions. These findings suggest that the consumption of natural gas by households in the region is largely insensitive to changes in price and regulatory adjustments. Consequently, the current approach of employing non-market mechanisms such as price caps should be reconsidered. Regulatory authorities need to be cautious with such interventions, as they do not align with market principles and could potentially hinder the development of a competitive and efficient energy market in Ukraine. In conclusion, our study provides empirical evidence that supports the limited role of regulatory factors in influencing household natural gas consumption. This insight is crucial for policymakers aiming to balance economic efficiency with social considerations, ensuring the affordability of natural gas while promoting market-based reforms in the Ukrainian energy sector.