Determinants of high electrical energy demand in UK homes: Socio-economic and dwelling characteristics

Rory V Jones,Kevin J Lomas

doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.04.052

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of the socio-economic and dwelling factors contributing to high electrical energy demand in UK domestic buildings. The socio-economic, dwelling and electricity consumption data were collected during a large-scale, city-wide survey, carried out in Leicester, UK, in 2009–2010. Annual electrical energy demand was estimated for 315 dwellings and an odds ratio analysis used to identify the socio-economic and dwelling factors that led to high electricity consumption. The effects of a number of socio-economic and dwelling factors which have not previously been studied for the UK domestic sector are included. Thus, for the first time, presence of teenagers, having electric space heating as the primary form of heating, portable electric heating and electric water heating were identified as significant drivers of high electricity demand in UK homes. The employment status and education level of the Household Representative Person, the number of floors in a dwelling, presence of fixed electric heating, and the proportion of low-energy lighting were shown to have no effect on high electricity consumption in UK homes. Given the impetus to reduce electricity consumption and CO2 emissions from the domestic sector, these observations can help shape energy saving campaigns and future energy policy.

Highlights

Electricity consumption from domestic buildings represented 35% of total UK electricity consumption in 2013, and since 1970, the UK domestic sector has experienced a general year-on-year rise in electricity use of around 1% [1]
The literature review undertaken to establish the factors previously identified as having an effect on electricity demand in Compared to homes without any children, the results show that those with at least one child were more than twice as likely to be in the high demand group (OR = 2.28, p < 0.01)
The results provided by this paper identify the key socio-economic characteristics of the building occupants, as well as the characteristics of the dwellings which are more likely to have high electricity consumption and could be used to inform how electricity demand in the UK domestic sector might change as the housing stock and socio-economic profile of the nation evolves in future

Summary

Introduction

Electricity consumption from domestic buildings represented 35% of total UK electricity consumption in 2013, and since 1970, the UK domestic sector has experienced a general year-on-year rise in electricity use of around 1% [1]. Previous UK energy research has identified that high electricity consuming households use more electricity, compared with others, but appear to be consuming even more electricity over time [5,6,7]. Given the immediate need for reduction of electricity consumption and CO2 emissions from the domestic sector, it has been suggested that future UK energy policy might focus on reducing the demand of high electricity consumers [5,6,7,8,9,10]. Understanding what drives high usage in domestic buildings is important to support decisions about how to reduce electricity use and CO2 emissions

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