Influences of Indirect Lifestyle Aspects and Climate on Household Energy Consumption

This study investigated the interrelationships among household energy consumption and indirect lifestyle aspects (including life schedule and family pattern), with particular emphasis placed on energy consumption pattern changes according to climatic characteristics. Instead of the conventional questionnaire survey and on-site measurement methods, this study focused on estimating the lifestyle related household energy consumption using life schedule data, which, in contrast, is low cost and time efficient. This study found that household energy consumption increases according to family size, however the per person energy consumption rate is less in larger size families. Retirees and housewives generally consume more household energy than working and student groups. Among working groups, household energy consumption increases according to age. Employee groups tend to consume less household energy than businessmen/women groups, while female working groups consume more household energy than male working groups. Also, people engaged in the agriculture/forestry sector and the self-employed consume more household energy, while labor and management/technical sectors consume the least. This study also revealed that households in colder regions generally consume more household energy due to higher energy needs for heating and lighting.