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Indicator Assessment
Over the period 1990-2008, energy efficiency in the household sector increased by 19% in EU-27 countries, or 1.1%/year, driven by the diffusion of more efficient buildings, space heating technologies and electrical appliances. Over the same period, the final energy consumption of households increased by about 13%, at an annual average rate of 0.7%. Electricity consumption grew much faster at an annual growth rate of 1.9%. Per capita household energy consumption in EU-27 and EEA countries only slightly increased over the period (0.4%/year). Since the year 2005 however, energy consumption per capita in the household sector decreased in almost all countries. The energy consumption of households is influenced mainly by two opposite drivers. Efficiency improvements in space heating and large electrical appliances reduces the consumption while increasing size of dwellings and increased use of electrical appliances and central heating contribute to increase the consumption and offset part of the energy efficiency benefits. CO2 emissions per dwelling were 24% below their 1990 level in 2008, mainly because of CO2 savings resulting from switches to fuel with a lower CO2 content.
Odyssee energy efficiency index (ODEX) (EU-27)
Note: For households, the ODEX is carried out at the level of 3 end-uses (heating, water heating, cooking) and 5 large appliances (refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dishwashers and TVs)
ODYSSEE, Enerdata, October 2010 update. Household energy efficiency; http://www.odyssee-indicators.org
The access is restricted to project partners or subscribers. The data extracted from the ODYSSEE database and used in the graphs are: the energy consumption by end uses, stock of dwellings, the average floor area, the number of large electrical appliances, the share of central heating.
[1] Estimation based on the relative performance of new buildings built with new regulations, based on building codes, compared to the performance of new buildings built in 1990.
[2] Source: GFK quoted in CECED presentation at EEDAL '09 http://www.ceced.org/IFEDE//easnet.dll/GetDoc?APPL=1&DAT_IM=20DA43
Influence of income and energy prices on household consumption per dwelling
Note: The graph characterizes the average consumption per households (at normal climate) in relation to the evolution of prices and incomes. The income per households for EU-27 as a whole is the sum of the 27 EU countries based on national Odyssee data.
Influence of climate on household energy consumption per dwelling
Note: Influence of climate on household energy consumption per dwelling between 1990 and 2008.
% change in household final energy consumption per person, 1990-2008
Note: Based on the ratio : energy consumption / population (%/year calculated on the period 1990-2008)
Influence of change in dwelling size on the energy consumption per dwelling (1997–2008)
Note: Unit consumption for households can be expressed in energy consumed per dwelling (toe/dw) or energy consumed per floor area (koe/m2). The floor area per dwelling for EU27 is extrapolated from the weighted average floor area of dwellings of 19 countries (9 EU-15 countries and 10 new members) which represent around 85% of the total EU stock of dwellings; the weighting factor is the stock of dwellings.
ODYSSEE, The Odyssee database is available at http://www.odyssee-indicators.org/. The access is restricted to project partners or subscribers. The data extracted from the ODYSSEE database and used in the graph are: Unit consumption per dwelling for space heating with climatic corrections,
Unit consumption per m2 for space heating with climatic corrections.
Households energy consumption by end uses
Note: Share of energy consumption by end uses in total households consumption.
Energy consumption by end uses per dwelling
Note: Based on the ratio: energy consumption by end uses divided by the number of permanently occupied dwelling.
Unit consumption per dwelling for space heating with climatic corrections, Unit consumption of hot water per dwelling, Unit consumption per dwelling for cooking, Unit consumption per dwelling for lighting and electrical appliances
Drivers of the change in average annual energy consumption per household in the EU-27 between 1990 and 2008
Note: The energy consumption of households is decomposed in different explanatory effects: change in average dwelling size, increasing number of appliances (more electrical appliances) and central heating diffusion, energy efficiency improvement (as measured from ODEX) and change in behaviour related to more confort.
Useful energy requirement per m2 for space heating (2008)
Note: The unit consumption in useful terms is calulated by multiplying the final consumption for each fuel by the heating efficiency for that fuel.
[1] The floor area per dwelling for EU27 is extrapolated from the weighted average floor area of dwellings of 19 countries.
[2] The penetration of central heating was also significant in the other countries, but mainly before 1990.
[3] These figures are based on estimates (e.g. from surveys) or modeling as it is not possible to measure this directly. It is difficult, for example, to distinguish between households where a central boiler provides both space and water heating or the dwelling uses electricity for heating. The proportion used for space heating depends on factors such as climatic conditions, the level of thermal efficiency of buildings or the level of comfort. See also meta data description for details.
Energy Efficiency ODEX by country
Note: Change in energy efficiency index by country in the period 1997-2008
CO2 emissions per m2 for space heating
Note: The graph compares by country the level of CO2 emissions for space heating per m2 for 2 years : 1990 and 2008 (direct and indirect emissions). 1990 and 2008 data are climate corrected against each country’s long-term average climate, whereas the last series is climate corrected and scaled against the EU long-term average climate to account for temperature differences between countries.
Household consumption: tons of oil equivalent (TOE)
ODEX index: #
CO2 emissions: MtCO2
No targets have been specified
Energy efficiency indices (ODEX) can be defined as a ratio between the actual energy consumption of the sector in year t and the sum of the implied energy consumption from each underlying sub-sector/ end use in year t (based on the unit consumption of the sub-sector with a moving reference year. The evaluation of energy savings in household is carried out at the level of three end uses (heating, water heating and cooking) and five large appliances (refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dishwashers and TVs). For each end use, the following indicators are used to measure efficiency progress: heating — unit consumption per m2 per dwelling equivalent to central heating at normal climate; water heating — unit consumption per dwelling with water heating; and cooking — unit consumption per dwelling. The average energy consumption per m2 per dwelling equivalent to central heating is used to leave out the impact of the diffusion of central heating. The effect of (heating) behaviour was estimated by assuming that technical progress cannot be reversed. Odyssee index: see http://www.odyssee-indicators.org
Change in households final energy consumption per person: (final energy consumption per country2007 /population per country2007) / (final energy consumption per country1990 /population per country1990) – 1
Energy consumption by end use per dwelling: final energy consumption per country / number of dwellings per country.
Energy consumption per m2 for space heating : final energy consumption for space heating / (number of dwelling * dwelling size)
Energy consumption per dwelling or m2 at normal climate: sum of heating consumption at normal climate and the non heating consumption/ number of dwellings
Heating consumption per dwelling at normal climate : energy consumption * HDDn/HDD with HDD: observed Heating Degree Days in current year and HDDn number of degree days for a normal year (long-term average degree days over last 30 years; source Eurostat); number of degree days by country population weighted
CO2 emissions space heating per m2, climate corrected: CO2 emissions from space heating per dwelling climate corrected / average floor area of dwellings
Box: Explanation of the calculation of the energy consumption by end use: case of gas used for space heating
• If Eurostat gas consumption of households is X Mtoe for EU-27;
• From the sample of countries for which data are available by end use, the consumption of gas for space heating, YH, is calculated from the sum of countries;
• From the same sample of countries, the total consumption of gas, Y, is calculated from the sum of countries
• The share of space heating in gas consumption SH in the sample of countries is equal to YH/Y
• To get the consumption of gas for space heating (XH) at the EU level we assume that the share is the same as for the sample of countries XH = X* SH
No methodology references available.
No uncertainty has been specified
Not all data is available for all countries. Availability for data on years earlier than 2007, is higher.
Odyssee data is recently updated (August 2009).
The reliability of total household energy consumption and related CO2 emissions is reliable due to trustworthy statistics underlying it. Division of the energy consumption among activities (heating / cooking etc.) is less accurate, because it is based on assumptions.
No uncertainty has been specified
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/energy-efficiency-and-energy-consumption-2/assessment-2 or scan the QR code.
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