Econometric models for major residential energy end-uses

Canada is one of the highest per capita energy consuming countries in the world. In 1996, the end-use energy consumption was about 7630 P J. Residential energy consumption in Canada is mainly for space heating (61 per cent), followed by domestic hot water heating (21 per cent), appliances and lights (17 per cent), and finally, cooling, which is negligible (0.4 per cent). In order for the Canadian government to establish an effective and efficient energy conservation policy, an accurate and comprehensive estimate of residential energy demand parameters is needed. Therefore, a study was conducted in which econometric residential end-use energy models were developed to identify income and price elasticities of major residential energy end-uses. The impact of various socio-economic and physical housing characteristics on the residential energy consumption in Canada was also evaluated. The major fuel types considered in this study were natural gas, electricity and oil. A set of four equations, one for each end use, were to be developed for each of the three fuel types. However, oil was not included in the analysis because the database was not sufficient to conduct a statistical analysis. Also, only a single set of equations were developed for all of the electrically heated households. 28 refs., 28 tabs., 2 figs.