Domestic Energy Factsheet
Domestic Energy Factsheet
Domestic Energy Factsheet
This factsheet provides a brief overview of the trends and some key drivers that have influenced energy consumption within the domestic sector in the UK since 1970. Analysis is based on data from DECCs annual publication Energy consumption in the UK published on Thursday 25 July 2013: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-consumption-in-the-uk. This factsheet looks at the change in domestic energy consumption by the following sections: Overall domestic sector energy consumption in 2012; Domestic sector energy consumption by fuel type between 1970 and 2012; Domestic sector energy consumption by end use between 1970 and 2012; Average domestic gas and electricity consumption between 2008 and 2012; Domestic sector energy consumption per head and by income between 1970 and 2012; Use of electricity by appliance type between 1970 and 2012; Energy efficiency improvements in appliances between 1990 and 2012; and Factors affecting domestic energy consumption.
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correction factor to derive average gas and electricity consumption values for households under normal temperature conditions. Since 1990 domestic energy use has increased by 6 per cent, whilst there has been an increase of 20 per cent in the number of UK households and a 12 per cent increase in the UK population. At a per household level, energy consumption has fallen by 12 per cent since 1990. In 2012 domestic consumption was 29 per cent of total UK final consumption of energy products.
Domestic sector energy consumption by fuel type between 1970 and 2012
The fuel mix for domestic consumption has significantly changed since 1970 when 39 per cent of consumption was coal, 24 per cent natural gas and 18 per cent electricity; this changed to 8 per cent coal, 63 per cent gas and 20 per cent electricity in 1990; and to 1 per cent coal, 68 per cent natural gas and 23 per cent electricity in 2012 as shown in Chart 1. Chart 1 Domestic consumption by fuel, UK (1970 to 2012)
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Domestic sector energy consumption by end use between 1970 and 2012
The majority of energy consumed in the domestic sector is for space heating which in 2012 represented 66 per cent of total domestic consumption. Water heating and lighting and appliances accounted for a further 17 and 15 per cent respectively with cooking accounting for a further 3 per cent. Since 1970, there has been a continued fall in the proportion of energy used for water heating and cooking, and a continued rise in the proportion used for lighting and appliances. Space heating remained the primary use of energy in the home over the whole period. Compared to 2011, the amount of energy used for water heating, cooking and lighting and appliances has remained stable in 2012, with the only increase occurring in the amount of energy used for space heating. This increase in the amount used for space heating can be attributed to milder weather conditions in 2011 returning to more typical weather conditions in 2012. Chart 2 Domestic final energy consumption by end use, UK (1970 to 2012)
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Chart 3 displays the inverse relationship between energy used per household for space heating and external temperature during the main heating season (January to March and October to December). Both series are indexed to 2012=100; the peaks and troughs in 1996 and 2010 clearly indicate the impact of low winter temperatures on household energy use. Chart 3 Space heating consumption per household and heating season outside temperatures, UK (1970 to 2012)
Average domestic gas and electricity consumption between 2008 and 2012
Chart 4 displays average domestic electricity consumption per household and average gas consumption per gas customer. The chart also provides a temperature corrected average for both average gas and electricity consumption. When temperature is taken into account, the difference in average electricity consumption is minimal. However, temperatures play a bigger part on domestic gas consumption. The average unadjusted electricity consumption per household in 2012 was 4,227 kilowatt hours (kWh). This adjusts very slightly to 4,226 kWh once a temperature factor has been applied to the data. Average unadjusted gas consumption per customer in 2012 was 15,281 kWh; this adjusts to Page | 4
15,257 kWh once a temperature factor has been applied to the data. However in 2011 observed gas consumption was 13,252 kWh, but adjusted for the warmer weather, it was 14,914 kWh. Chart 4 Average domestic (unadjusted and temperature corrected) gas and electricity consumption, UK (2008 to 2012)
Domestic sector energy consumption per head and by income between 1970 and 2012
Factors affecting domestic energy consumption include the number of households, the population and household income. These factors can be used to measure the energy intensity in the domestic sector and are shown in Chart 5 below. Energy consumption per unit of household disposable income has fallen by 35 per cent since 1990, whilst energy consumption per household has fallen by 12 per cent and energy consumption per person fallen by 5 per cent.
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Chart 5
Domestic energy consumption per person, per household and per unit of household income, UK (1970 to 2012)
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Chart 6
Chart 7
Chart 8
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Further details about these tables have been provided in the User Guide.
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