An overview of domestic energy consumption in the UK: past,present and future

Global contribution from domestic sector towards energy use is quite remarkable, accounting for 20–40% of total primary energy consumption in developed countries. Current predictions indicate that the domestic energy consumption will steadily increase as a consequence of notable growth in world population, everlasting technological developments, growing demand for building services and rising comfort levels. In this respect, an accurate understanding and interpretation of energy consumption data in domestic sector is of vital importance for further amendments in energy policies at the global scale. Within the scope of this paper, an overview of the trends and some key drivers that have affected domestic energy consumption in the UK from 1970 to present is presented. Energy consumption by fuel type and end use, average domestic gas and electricity use in recent years, energy consumption per household and per person are illustrated in a comparable way.