Decoupling Emissions from Economic Activity 2022

• Household emissions were 23% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, compared with 31% in 2010 (See Figure 3.1 and Table 3.1).

• In 2022, 41% of household greenhouse gas emissions were from fossil fuels used for household heating, 36% were from fossil fuels used for transport, and 21% were from electricity use, including electricity used for heating and transport (See Figure 3.1 and Table 3.1).

• Electric vehicles comprised 1.6% of licensed private cars in 2022 (See Table 3.6), while 22% of dwellings that had a Building Energy Rating audit conducted used electricity as the main heating source (See Table 3.2). The proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources was 37% in 2022 (See Table 3.6).

• In 2022, the Household sector paid €2.4 billion in environment taxes and received €274 million in environmental subsidies. In 2022, Households paid €171 in environment taxes per tonne of carbon dioxide, up from €135 in 2010 (See Figure 3.5 and Table 3.6).

Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Households

Figure 3.1 and Table 3.1 show a breakdown of greenhouse gas emissions by households for 2010-2022 by source of emissions. In 2022, 41% of household greenhouse gas emissions were from fossil fuels used for household heating, 36% were from fossil fuels used for transport, and 21% were from electricity use (including electricity used for heating and transport). Emissions from fossil fuels used to generate electricity were assigned to the final user of the electricity in this release. 

Household emissions were 23% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, compared with 31% in 2010.

Household Heating and Energy Efficiency

Building energy ratings data show that new dwellings are increasingly using electricity as the main space heating fuel with a transformation occurring in a short time period as electricity went from being the main space heating fuel in 49% of new dwellings constructed between 2015 and 2019, to 90% of new dwellings in the period from 2020 to 2023 (see Figure 3.2 and Table 3.2). 

Heating oil was the main heating fuel used in 36% of new dwellings built between 2000 and 2004. In contrast, less than 1% of new dwellings constructed between 2020 and 2023 used heating oil as the main heating fuel.

Gas and electricity meter data can be combined with building energy ratings to measure the difference in consumption for more energy efficient dwellings. Table 3.3 shows that homes with the best energy efficiency ratings (A/B) used less electricity per square metre. The lowest rated homes (F/G) used less than C-, D- and E-rated homes, a possible indicator of energy poverty.

Table 3.4 shows data from the CSO Environmental Subsidies and Similar Transfers release on the amount of grants and tax reliefs for households for retrofits, electric vehicles and solar panels. These policy measures are aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, €153 million was paid out in energy efficiency grants to households, €84 million was provided in grants and tax reliefs on electric vehicles, and renewable energy grants to households were €24 million. 

Household Transport

Figure 3.3 and Table 3.5 show vehicle licensing data by fuel type. Electric vehicles made up 2% of taxed private cars in 2022. There was an increase of 21% in the number of licensed private cars between 2010 and 2022 and a decrease of 11% in emissions from private household transport in the same time period.

Household Electricity Consumption and Renewable Share in Electricity

Figure 3.4 and Table 3.6 show household metered electricity consumption from 2015 to 2023. Metered electricity consumption by households increased most years from 2016 to 2021 before falling in 2022 and again in 2023. In 2023, household consumption was around 28% of total electricity consumption, compared with 34% in 2015. 

The transition to electric vehicles, the use of electricity for heating buildings, and the proportion of renewable energy used in the generation of electricity are important indicators of the progress towards reducing emissions. Emissions from fossil fuels used to generate electricity were assigned to the final consumer in this release. For households, this includes indirect emissions from electric vehicle charging, household heating from electricity, and other electricity use.

The SEAI calculates the normalised renewable share in electricity (RES-E), which increased each year from 2016 to 2020 but fell from 39% in 2020 to 36% in 2021, before rising to 37% in 2022 and 39% in 2023 (see Table 3.6).

Environmental Subsidies and Taxes in the Household Sector

Figure 3.5 shows a comparison of environmental taxes paid and environmental subsidies received by the Household sector from 2010-2022. Environment taxes paid by the Household sector consist mainly of energy taxes on fuels and transport taxes such as motor tax and vehicle registration tax. Energy efficiency grants are the main component of environmental subsidies to households. In 2022, the Household sector paid €2.4 billion in environment taxes and received €274 million in environmental subsidies. 

Table 3.7 shows the Household sector share of environmental taxes and subsidies from 2010-2022. In 2010, the sector share of environment taxes was 64% and the sector share of environmental subsidies was 8%. The share of environment taxes fell across the time period and was 55% in 2022, while the share of environmental subsidies rose to 18% in 2022. For comparison, the Household share of greenhouse gas emissions was 31% in 2010 and 23% in 2022.

Table 3.7 also contains data on environment taxes paid per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emitted by the Household sector. In 2022, Households paid €171 per tonne of carbon dioxide, up from €135 in 2010.