Survey shows high electricity use at home

IRISH HOMES are becoming more energy-efficient but their occupants are using more electricity, often to create greater comfort, according to a new report.

Improvements in energy efficiency are largely offset by bigger house sizes and higher room temperatures and whole house heating, according to Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI).

Householders use almost 30 per cent more electricity than the EU average and 20 per cent more than in the UK, the SEI's survey of residential energy use finds, and CO2 emissions are twice the EU average.

The average household spent €1,767 a year on energy in 2006, up 70 per cent on 1990, and this figure is since estimated to have risen to more than €2,100.

Energy efficiency in Irish homes has improved by 15 per cent but most of this is due to improved insulation rather than more energy-efficient behaviour.

The report finds that while energy used by the residential sector grew by one-third, its share of overall energy usage dropped. This is because energy use in sectors such as transport is rising even faster.

Households spend €2.5 billion a year on energy and this figure is likely to rise sharply as fuel prices continue to rise.

The report notes that electricity prices have doubled since 2000 and natural gas prices have risen by 87 per cent, and this is before recent sharp rises are taken into account.

More than 145,000 households here are experiencing fuel poverty, in which more than 10 per cent of their disposable income is spent on energy, the report finds.

The lowest earners spend an average 13 per cent on energy, compared with 1.7 per cent for high earners.

Average household electricity use increased by 62 per cent from 1990 to 2006, or 3 per cent per annum, even though fuel use fell marginally over the same period.

The sharp rise in electricity use is blamed on power-guzzling electronic goods such as big-screen televisions, dishwashers and recessed lighting, of which homes in Ireland have record numbers.

The proportion of homes with central heating has grown from 52 per cent in 1987 to 91 per cent in 2005. Modern central heating systems are more energy efficient than individual heating appliances or solid fuel backburners but people tend to favour higher temperatures and to heat unoccupied rooms, thereby offsetting the energy efficiency gains.

One reason for the growth in energy use is the increasing number of houses in the State, which has doubled since 1960.

Houses are also getting larger - up one-quarter to 161sq m in size over the period in consideration - which also pushes up energy consumption. The number of people per household is dropping and currently stands at 2.81, but this is still high by international standards.

Brian Motherway, SEI head of industry, praised efforts to improve energy efficiency in homes but insisted people could be doing more.

"Indicators used to measure energy efficiency also demonstrate that further significant improvements can be made through simple no-cost behavioural changes in the household, leading to more efficient use of energy," he said.

Mr Motherway said government policy on building standards had been very successful in driving down energy use in homes. On an individual level, more and more people were aware of the need to control their energy consumption.

The average Irish household emits about 8.1 tonnes of CO2 a year; 4.8 tonnes come from direct fuel use and the rest relates to electricity consumption.