State of the Environment

2006

Indicator: HS-38 Energy efficiency in households

Data

Main source of energy used in space heating 1994-2002
Capital Cities Rest of Australia Australia wide
('000) % ('000) % ('000) %
March 2002
Electricity 1555.9 33.5 753.2 26.6 2309.2 30.9
Gas 1850.7 39.9 704.3 24.9 2555.0 34.2
Wood 364.3 7.8 659.9 23.3 1024.2 13.7
Coal or coke 0.7 0.0 0.6 0.0 1.3 0.0
Oil 47.9 1.0 44.7 1.6 92.6 1.2
Solar 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0
Other/varies 21.4 0.5 10.2 0.4 31.6 0.4
No space heating 799.7 17.2 659.1 23.3 1458.7 19.5
Total households 4641.7 100.0 2832.0 100.0 7473.7 100.0
March 1999
Electric 1349.9 30.8 647.4 23.5 1997.3 28.0
Gas 1701.9 38.9 647.7 23.5 2349.6 32.9
Wood 417.3 9.5 701.0 25.4 1118.3 15.7
Coal or coke 1.7 0.0 1.0 0.0 2.7 0.0
Oil 87.3 2.0 68.9 2.5 156.3 2.2
Solar 0.6 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.8 0.0
Other/varies 24.3 0.6 20.2 0.7 44.5 0.6
Not known 5.1 0.1 2.4 0.1 7.5 0.1
No space heating 790.6 18.1 667.5 24.2 1458.1 20.4
Total households 4378.7 100.0 2756.5 100.0 7135.2 100.0
June 1994
Electric 1298.4 33.1 607.9 24.3 1906.4 29.7
Gas 1502.6 38.4 541.6 21.7 2044.2 31.9
Wood 416.9 10.6 713.5 28.6 1130.4 17.6
Oil 127.8 3.3 72.1 2.9 200.0 3.1
Solar 2.2 0.1 1.6 0.1 3.8 0.1
Other/varies 55.0 1.4 35.6 1.4 90.6 1.4
No space heating 514.6 13.1 524.5 21.0 1039.1 16.2
Total households 3917.7 100.0 2496.8 100.0 6414.5 100.0

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005 (unpublished data prepared by ABS for SoE 2006)

Use of insulation in homes Australia – 1994-2002
Capital Cities Rest of Australia Australia wide
('000) % ('000) % ('000) %
March 2002
With insulation 2663.2 57.4 1631.8 57.6 4295.1 57.5
Without insulation 1124.9 24.2 746.2 26.3 1871.1 25.0
Don't know 853.6 18.4 453.9 16.0 1307.5 17.5
Total dwellings 4641.7 100.0 2832.0 100.0 7473.7 100.0
March 1999
With insulation 2390.0 54.6 1496.5 54.3 3886.5 54.5
Without insulation 1159.4 26.5 809.6 29.4 1969.0 27.6
Don't know 829.4 18.9 450.3 16.3 1279.6 17.9
Total dwellings 4378.7 100.0 2756.5 100.0 7135.2 100.0
June 1994
With insulation 2061.9 52.6 1283.0 51.4 3344.9 52.1
Without insulation 1264.5 32.3 860.3 34.5 2124.8 33.1
Don't know 591.3 15.1 353.5 14.2 944.7 14.7
Total dwellings 3917.7 100.0 2496.8 100.0 6414.5 100.0

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005 (unpublished data prepared by ABS for SoE 2006)

Sources of energy used in heating water 1994-2002
Capital Cities Rest of Australia Australia-wide
('000) % ('000) % ('000) %
March 2002
Electricity
   Peak 1311.1 28.2 1005.6 35.5 2316.7 31.0
   Off-peak 1054.7 22.7 1216.6 43.0 2271.3 30.4
   Total 2365.8 51.0 2222.2 78.5 4588.0 61.4
Gas 2216.5 47.8 593.6 21.0 2810.1 37.6
Solar
   Electric booster 143.3 3.1 157.0 5.5 300.2 4.0
   Gas booster 4.2 0.1 2.9 0.1 7.1 0.1
   Not known 7.1 0.2 8.0 0.3 15.1 0.2
Total 154.6 3.3 167.8 5.9 322.4 4.3
Wood 8.1 0.2 36.8 1.3 44.9 0.6
Oil 1.5 0.0 0.3 0.0 1.9 0.0
Coal/coke 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.6 0.0
Other 7.5 0.2 7.8 0.3 15.3 0.2
Not known 88.7 1.9 28.9 1.0 117.6 1.6
Total households 4641.7 100.0 2832.0 100.0 7473.7 100.0
March 1999
Electricity 2235.1 51.0 2018.7 73.2 4253.8 59.6
Gas 1988.2 45.4 538.4 19.5 2526.7 35.4
Solar
   Electric booster 157.1 3.6 159.9 5.8 317.0 4.4
   Gas booster 4.3 0.1 3.5 0.1 7.8 0.1
   Not known 6.8 0.2 13.1 0.5 19.9 0.3
Total 168.2 3.8 176.5 6.4 344.7 4.8
Wood 9.7 0.2 64.3 2.3 73.9 1.0
Oil 0.8 0.0 1.4 0.1 2.2 0.0
Coal/Coke 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Other 3.9 0.1 8.4 0.3 12.4 0.2
Not known 32.1 0.7 4.8 0.2 36.9 0.5
Total households 4378.7 100.0 2756.5 100.0 7135.2 100.0
June 1994
Electricity 2127.6 54.3 1871.7 75.0 3999.3 62.3
Gas 1698.0 43.3 455.8 18.3 2153.8 33.6
Solar 168.2 4.3 149.0 6.0 317.1 4.9
Other 29.5 0.8 112.4 4.5 141.9 2.2
Total households 3917.7 100.0 2496.8 100.0 6414.5 100.0

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005 (unpublished data prepared by ABS for SoE 2006)

Number of Air-conditioners used in homes 1994-2002
Capital Cities Rest of Australia Australia-wide
('000) % ('000) % ('000) %
March 2002
With air-conditioner
   One 1977.3 85.2 1010.2 76.9 2987.4 82.2
   Two 269.2 11.6 213.5 16.3 482.7 13.3
   Three or more 74.7 3.2 89.7 6.8 164.4 4.5
   Sub-total 2321.2 50.0 1313.4 46.4 3634.5 48.6
Without air-conditioner 2320.6 50.0 1518.5 53.6 3839.1 51.4
Total households 4641.7 100.0 2832.0 100.0 7473.7 100.0
March 1999
With air-conditioner
   One 1299.7 85.6 722.6 75.7 2022.3 81.8
   Two 188.8 12.4 149.9 15.7 338.7 13.7
   Three or more 29.4 1.9 82.6 8.6 112.0 4.5
   Sub-total 1517.9 34.7 955.1 34.6 2473.0 34.7
Without air-conditioner 2860.8 65.3 1801.4 65.4 4662.1 65.3
Total households 4378.7 100.0 2756.5 100.0 7135.2 100.0
June 1994
With air-conditioner
   One 1137.3 86.0 608.1 79.9 1745.4 83.8
   Two 151.4 11.5 101.9 13.4 253.4 12.2
   Three or more 33.0 2.5 50.7 6.7 83.7 4.0
   Sub-total 1321.7 33.7 760.7 30.5 2082.5 32.5
Without air-conditioner 2596 66.3 1736.1 69.5 4332.1 67.5
Total households 3917.7 100.0 2496.8 100.0 6414.5 100.0

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005 (unpublished data prepared by ABS for SoE 2006)

What the data mean

There has been no change in the proportion of households that use each source of energy as the main source for heating space and water. There has been an slight increase in the use of insulation in homes from 52% in 1994 to nearly 58 % in 2002. There was no differences between homes in capital cities and those in areas outside capital cities.

There has been an increase in the use of air-conditioners in Australian homes. Nearly two-thirds of homes were without air-conditioners in 1994 compared to more than half in 2002. Again there were no differences between homes in capital cities and those in areas outside capitals.

Data Limitations

The data provided here was collected through a supplementary survey carried out along with the Monthly Population Surveys by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The Survey methodology was changed in 1997; some of the differences in the data between two periods could be due to this change.

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Human Settlements — General responses provided to improve the environment - Other responses 

Energy use efficiency in households will help reduce the energy consumption in the residential sector.

Other indicators for this issue:

Key

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