3.Domestic energy consumption

1.Domestic energy consumption has increased by 32 per cent since 1970 and by 19 per cent since
1990. Since 1990 the number of households has increased by 10 per cent, population has increased
by 4 per cent and household disposable income has increased by 30 per cent. Energy efficiency
improvements, such as increased levels of insulation and the introduction of more efficient electrical
appliances, have meant that domestic energy consumption has not increased at a greater rate. This
chapter will look at the purposes for which energy is used in the domestic sector and the drivers of
domestic energy consumption which can potentially lead to more or less energy being consumed.
2.e majority of energy consumed in the domestic sector is for space heating, which accounted for 58
per cent of all delivered energy consumed in 2000. Space heating in any year is largely
dependent on outside temperatures which explains the year-to-year fluctuations, although increases
in internal temperatures, the growth in central heating and the increased number of households have
all contributed to the increase over the period 1970 to 2000, despite the increased presence of
insulation. These factors are covered in more detail in paragraphs 3.7 to 3.20. The other major areas
of energy consumption in the domestic sector are for heating water, for lighting and appliances and
for cooking. Between 1970 and 2000, energy consumption in lighting and appliances increased by
157 per cent, while energy use in cooking has fallen by 16 per cent.
The number of households, population and income :
Energy intensity in the domestic sector can be measured by the number of households, by
population or household incomes. While overall
domestic energy consumption has gone up by a third, energy consumption per household has fallen
by 6 per cent, energy consumption per person has increased by 18 per cent and energy consumption
per unit of income has fallen by 44 per cent.
Growth in number of appliances :
The amount of energy used by appliances has increased by 9 per cent since 1990, which has been
a result of increases in the total number of appliances bought and used by households as well as the
increase in the number of households. Net national disposable income in the UK has increased by
30 per cent since 1990. The higher the income, the higher the level of appliances owned by
households. In 2000, 45 per cent of households with a gross weekly income of over £500 owned
a dishwasher, compared with only 12 per cent of households with an income of £100 or less.
Energy consumption for lighting has increased by 63 per cent between 1970 and 2000 and by
11 per cent between 1990 and 2000. The increase has been mainly due to the shift away from rooms
lit by single ceiling bulbs towards multi-source lighting from wall and table lamps as well as multiceiling
lights. The introduction of energy efficient light bulbs in the early 1980s has led to some
energy savings and from this relatively recent beginning sales rose to over 4 million in 1999.