There has been a dramatic increase in electricity consumption in the residential sector, according to a new report from Sustainable Energy Ireland.
The SEI report shows that electricity use, by the average householder, increased by 62% in the years from 1990 to 2006. The spike is believed to have been partly caused by the increasing size of appliances and their increased use.
The average annual spend on energy by households in 2006 was €1,767, up 4% on 2005 and 70% on 1990. Total spend on energy by the residential sector was €2.5 billion.
The report also reveals that over 145,000 Irish households are now experiencing fuel poverty, in which more than a tenth of their disposable income is spent on energy. Irish consumers are spending 70% more on their energy bills than they did in 1990.
The SEI report analyses the level of energy used for heating, cooking, cleaning, washing, drying, lighting, cooling and entertainment in the residential sector. The sector accounts for almost a quarter of all energy used in the country and is the second largest using sector after transport.
Irish households on average emit about 8.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide, today's report says. 4.8 tonnes of these CO2 emissions are from direct fuel use with the rest relating to emissions from electricity usage.
In the 16 years from 1990 to 2006, the residential sector's share of energy related carbon dioxide emissions decreased from 35% to 25% due to faster growth in other sectors, especially transport.
However, the report also shows that there was a 15% improvement in energy efficiency in the residential sector in the 16 year period, largely as a result of improving insulation standards.
