The need to heed the changing structure of household consumption, not only technical energy efficiency - the Finnish case

Panel: Panel 3: Dynamics of Consumption (social and cultural perspectives, actors and their interactions)

Author:
Heidi Melasniemi-Uutela, Statistics Finland

Abstract

The energy saving accomplished with new technology has not been enough to compensate for the expansion of consumption in Finland any more than in most other industrialised countries. Because the focus has been on technical energy efficiency, there has been no need for energy saving policies to take a clear stand in respect of changes in lifestyle, i.e. structural changes in consumption. These changes are often "creeping" ones, so that even major changes to what is considered as "normal" way of life, go easily unnoticed.

The paper describes some structural changes which have already influenced, or are anticipated to influence, the energy consumption of Finnish households and which counteract the improving of technical energy efficiency. The examples comprise growing number of small households, expansion in the dwelling area, increase in the number of large electrical appliances in small households, growing number of electric saunas, holiday homes becoming common and developing into second dwelling and increased mobility by road and tourism.

The latter part of the paper presents some survey findings about Finnish household consumers' energy consciousness, in which there are still major deficiencies. The energy saving measures taken by households are modest compared to the increase in the consumption. The paper also raises the qustion wheter too much is expected of the environmentally better informed younger generations who, as a counterpoint, may take the normal way of life of today even more for granted than the older ones. At the very end of the paper, some too little discussed challenges to energy politics are highlighted briefly.