Your feedback can help us improve and enhance our services to the public. Tell us what matters to you in our online Customer Satisfaction Survey.
10 November 2021
Go to release: Household Environmental Behaviours - Energy Use Quarter 3 2021
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (10 November 2021) published Household Environmental Behaviours - Energy Use Quarter 3 2021. The report analyses how household energy use varies by region and across characteristics such as owner-occupied and rented properties. The findings are based on a household environment module undertaken during the third quarter of 2021.
Statistician in the Environment and Climate Division, Clare O’Hara, commented: ”The report covers primary and secondary fuel use, installations of renewable energy technology, electric vehicle ownership and willingness to use off-peak electricity rates. Natural gas was the main home heating fuel, but its use varied widely between urban households (53%) and rural households (4%). In contrast 53% of rural households used kerosene as their main heating fuel compared with 21% of urban households. Around 26% of households living in rented properties used electricity as their main heating source compared with 7% of households in owner-occupied properties.
Around three-quarters of households used additional supplementary heating. Stoves were used by 31% of households, open fires by 28%, and plug-in electric heaters by 16% of households. Stoves or ranges were much more likely to be used by rural households. Wood logs (18%), coal (18%) and peat (12%) were the main additional heating fuels used in an open fire. Over 28% of households located in the Midland region used peat as an open fire additional heating fuel whereas 26% of households in the South-East and South-West regions used coal.
Electricity was used as the main cooking fuel by 68% of households while 14% used natural gas and 13% used a combination of electricity and gas. Electricity was the predominant cooking fuel in all regions.
Around 16% of households installed smart heating controls compared with 8% for heat pumps, 5% for thermal solar panels, and 3% for PV solar panels. Two-thirds of households have not installed any smart heating controls, solar panels or heat pumps.
Almost one-quarter of households (24%) indicated they are likely to purchase an electric vehicle when they next change their car.
Almost three-quarters of households (74%) indicated they would consider making substantial changes to their electricity consumption if cheaper rates were available in off-peak times.”
-- ENDS --