Determinants of households’ space heating type: A discrete choice analysis for German households

Considering the increasing attention on efficient use of energy, it becomes vitally important to understand the energy-related behavior of households. This article presents empirical evidence on the determinants of the space heating technology applied by a household. Three sets of variables are examined as potential influences--building, socio-economic, and regional characteristics. To highlight both the differences and similarities, the results are obtained from a sample of house owners, and from a sample including all households. The influence of socio-economic factors is similar across these groups. Income is found to exert only a minor impact on the system choice. Dwelling features are significant in determining the heating type, particularly in the sample including all households. Regional effects are important--clear differences prevail between East and West Germany.

[1]  S. Scott.  Household energy efficiency in Ireland: a replication study of ownership of energy saving items , 1997 .

[2]  Katrin Rehdanz,et al.  Determinants of residential space heating expenditures in Germany , 2007 .

[3]  Ulrich Fahl,et al.  Role of energy efficiency standards in reducing CO2 emissions in Germany: An assessment with TIMES , 2007 .

[4]  K. Lancaster.  A New Approach to Consumer Theory , 1966, Journal of Political Economy.

[5]  R. Blundell,et al.  The Microeconometric Approach to Modelling Energy Demand: Some Results for UK Households , 1991 .

[6]  Richard Blundell,et al.  Modelling Household Energy Expenditures Using Micro-data , 1989 .

[7]  D. McFadden,et al.  Specification tests for the multinomial logit model , 1984 .

[8]  Aie.  Energy Policies of IEA Countries: Germany 2007 , 2007 .

[9]  C. Ai,et al.  Interaction terms in logit and probit models , 2003 .

[10]  E. Mansur,et al.  Climate change adaptation: A study of fuel choice and consumption in the US energy sector , 2008 .

[11]  Russell Smyth,et al.  Electricity consumption in G7 countries: A panel cointegration analysis of residential demand elasticities , 2007 .

[12]  U. Hansen.  Restructuring the East German energy system , 1996 .

[13]  Αλεξανδροσ Αραμπατζησ.  QUALITATIVE RESPONSE MODELS THEORY AND ITS APPLICATION TO FORESTRY , 1990 .

[14]  Auxiliary heating in the residential sector , 1988 .

[15]  Kjell Vaage,et al.  HEATING TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY USE, A DISCRETE/CONTINUOUS CHOICE APPROACH TO NORWEGIAN HOUSEHOLD ENERGY DEMAND , 2000 .

[16]  Monika Bazyl.  Factors Influencing Tenure Choice in European Countries , 2009 .

[17]  Jeffrey A. Dubin,et al.  An Econometric Analysis of Residential Electric Appliance Holdings and Consumption , 1984 .

[18]  Alfonso Flores-Lagunes,et al.  Qualitative Response Models , 2007 .

[19]  Axel Börsch-Supan,et al.  Housing Demand in Germany and Japan , 2001 .

[20]  Seung-Jun Kwak,et al.  Estimation of residential electricity demand function in Seoul by correction for sample selection bias , 2007 .

[21]  Michael Ting,et al.  Effects of changes in residential end-uses and behavior on aggregate carbon intensity: comparison of 10 OECD countries for the period 1970 through 1993 , 2001 .

[22]  Christoph Weber,et al.  Energy consumption for space heating of West-German households: empirical evidence, scenario projections and policy implications , 2000 .

[23]  Badi H. Baltagi,et al.  A companion to theoretical econometrics , 2003 .

[24]  René M.J. Benders,et al.  Determinants of variation in household CO2 emissions between and within countries , 2009 .

[25]  Carbon mitigation costs for the commercial building sector: Discrete-continuous choice analysis of multifuel energy demand , 2008 .

[26]  Eiji Yamasaki,et al.  Evolution of an aging society and effect on residential energy demand , 1997 .

[27]  Runa Nesbakken,et al.  Price sensitivity of residential energy consumption in Norway , 1999 .

[28]  Gert G. Wagner,et al.  The German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) - Evolution, Scope and Enhancements , 2007 .

[29]  A. Perrels,et al.  Modelling lifestyle effects on energy demand and related emissions , 2000 .

[30]  J. S. Long,et al.  Regression models for categorical dependent variables using Stata, 2nd Edition , 2005 .

[31]  Huei-chu Liao,et al.  Space-heating and water-heating energy demands of the aged in the US , 2002 .