Energy spending of Irish homes up 70% since 1990

CONSUMERS are spending 70% more on energy bills because we are living in bigger homes and have more luxury appliances.

While newer homes are better built, electricity usage has soared since the 1990s partly due to our fondness for appliances like microwaves, televisions and computers.

There was a stark warning yesterday that home owners’ penchant for “mod cons” will see bills soar with energy cost increases on the way. The Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) research noted that higher energy spending was particularly hitting poorer households.

“Over the last decade or so we’ve built so many more houses, bigger houses and also our comfort standards have gone up from where they were in 1990. So therefore we are ultimately using more energy — considerably more,” said SEI’s head of industry Brian Motherway.

Households spent €2.5 billion on energy in 2006. The residential sector was also responsible for 25% of energy related CO2 emissions which harm to the atmosphere. Energy use included heating, cooking, cleaning, washing, drying, lighting, cooling and entertainment.

However, despite the fact Ireland has come through an economic boom, many households are experiencing hardship paying bills.

One in 10 households are slipping into “fuel poverty”, where more than 10% of their income is being spent on energy bills. That amounts to more than 144,000 homes, according to the most recent 2005 figures available in the SEI report.

“As homes become more efficient, we would expect people to come out of that category but as prices go up then that puts pressure on them as well,” said Mr Motherway.

The SEI report shows Irish households are using considerably more energy than our European neighbours. Energy usage per dwelling in 2006 was 27% above the British average and in 2005, 31% above the EU average. Reasons for this include the fact Irish homes are larger as well the differences in fuel mix types used by households.

But the future of energy costs is in fact good for consumers, say SEI. It is thought that energy costs have hopefully reached a “tipping point”, according to the Government agency, and with better insulated homes, increased regulation of building standards as well as more efficient uses of appliances and heating, consumers should be able to keep bills at sustainable levels, said SEI.

Homes may be bigger, better equipped and have higher numbers of people compared to European neighbours, but there has been a 15% jump in energy efficiency in the last 15 the report noted.

Energy bills

* The average Irish household is spending €2,100 a year on energy. This is an increase on the 2006 figure, which showed the average spend was €1,767.

* Around 40% of money being spent is going towards heating water and the space in a house or flat. The remaining amount goes on everything else from cooking to cooling and entertainment.

* The latest figures show the average household is responsible for the release of 8.1 tonnes of CO2 per year. Over half of this comes from direct fuel use.

* Households use 62% more electricity now compared to 1990. In 2006, the latest year for which there are stats, each person used 1,909kWh of electrical energy.

* Since 2000 to the beginning of this year, household electricity prices have doubled.

* The natural gas price has gone up 87%.

* Detached homes account for 43% of house types according to the last census.