Energy conservation policies for builders' purchases of domestic appliances

The author argues that policy makers should become more interested in the impact which ‘imposed choice’ purchases of energy using equipment by builders have on residential sector energy consumption. Canadian data suggest that builder purchases account for 48% of the annual energy consumption attributable to all purchases of furnaces and space heating equipment, water heaters, and major kitchen and laundry appliances. In this article an analysis is presented of the information inputs and intervention possibilities available to policy makers interested in encouraging the specification and purchase by builders of more energy efficient equipment.