The decline may have been driven by a surge in EU energy efficiency legislation from 2005, says the JRC. But the research centre adds it is "too early to conclude this unambiguously". Winters were a lot warmer at that time, it notes.

The report looks at final energy and electricity consumption in a range of sectors during the period 2004-07. It shows final electricity use in sectors other than households continued to increase, particularly in the industry and services sectors.

Final energy consumption in the EU-27 decreased by 1.31% between 2004 and 2007. The biggest decrease was in the residential sector (-7.12%) followed by agriculture (-6,24%). But energy use in the transport sector continued to grow (+4.58%).

The report calculates the market share of energy-efficient appliances by sector. For instance, A+ class washing machines had a 39% market share in 2007. For televisions, liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors had a 53% market share.

On Monday, a UK study showed many household appliances tested by market surveillance authorities did not meet performance levels displayed on their labels. The energy performance of washer/driers is of particular concern.