Household classification according to electricity consumption

Panel: Panel 4. Residential and commercial sectors: delivering lower energy use in buildings

Authors:
Toke Rammer Nielsen, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
Jørgen S. Nørgård, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark

Abstract

What is reasonable electricity consumption in households and what is low or high? This paper suggests different classes, A, B, C, and D, here referring to the household's consumption for running what is termed movable appliances, i.e. excluding equipment fixed as part of the building. The classes are based on scenarios built on bottom up analyses of how much energy service can be provided to a household from a certain amount of electricity. Using the most efficient appliances, it is possible for class A households, using less than 250 kWh/year per person, to provide a decent European level of services in a 3-4 person household. Class B has a maximum at 500 kWh/year per person. In Denmark the average figure for all electricity use in households is presently about 2000 kWh/year per person. Examples of services achievable within different classes are presented.

Electricity consumption in households falls into two categories: electricity used for fixed building installations like ventilation, circulation pumps, etc., now regulated by the EU Directive on energy performance of buildings, and that used for movable appliances, which is what this paper is about. The study excludes electricity used for purposes where other forms of energy are easily workable, for instance for space heating or for transport, even if such applications can be justified.

The classification can serve as 1) inspiration for consumers to set targets 2) a basis for stepwise progressive electricity taxes and other policies, 3) guidelines as a supplement to building codes. Bottom up analyses make people aware of choosing efficient appliances, as well as reconsidering the necessity of the appliances. This partly explains why bottom up analyses comes to significantly lower consumption than does a top down analysis based on what can be afforded.