Proceedings of the ASME 2011 5th International Conference on Energy Sustainability
ES2011
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD ENERGY
CONSUMPTION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Suchismita Bhattacharjee, Ph.D.
Ball State University,
Muncie, IN, U.S.A.
ABSTRACT
Energy consumption in the United States’ residential sector has
been marked by a steady growth over the past few decades, in
spite of the implementation of several energy efficiency
policies. To develop effective energy policies for the residential
sector, it is of utmost importance to study the various factors
affecting residential energy consumption. Earlier studies have
identified and classified various individual factors responsible
for the increment in household energy consumption, and have
also analyzed the effect of socio-economic factors such as
standard-of-living and income on overall household energy
consumption. This research study identifies the socio-economic
factors affecting household energy consumption.
Potential reasons for the variation in residential energy
efficiency consumption have been investigated in previous
studies that only represent viewpoints of investigators analyzing
specific problems. Additionally, a comprehensive review of
literature failed to reveal existing research that had
systematically explored the interdependencies among the
various factors that could possibly affect residential energy
consumption to give an overall perspective of these factors.
Widely used academic and scholarly scientific databases were
employed by two independent investigators to search for
original research investigations. A total of more than 200
research studies were found by the investigators, with almost
ninety percent agreement between the two investigators. Based
on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of this research study the
authors systematically reviewed 51 prominent research studies
to create a comprehensive list of factors affecting residential
energy consumption. The results are discussed in this review.
1. INTRODUCTION
Energy efficiency refers to a reduction in energy usage in
order to achieve a given level of output. Since the oil crisis of
1973, people have become increasingly aware of the efficient
use of energy. Lovins [1] described in his seminal paper
1 Copyright © 2011 by ASME
August 7-10, 2011, Washington, DC, USA
ES2011-54
Georg Reichard, PhD
Myers-Lawson School of Construction
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, U.S.A.
alternative sources of energy that are available in abundance,
and are renewable and more environmentally friendly than
fossil fuels. The development of the concept of energy
efficiency is found in previous research and is described as
“maintaining or increasing the level of useful output or outcome
delivered, while reducing energy consumption”[2].
Reducing the consumption of individual household energy
by using energy-efficient equipment and better insulation
strategies for households is obviously an energy efficiency
improvement step from the engineering point of view. This
improvement at the micro-level will not be visible at the macro-
level unless a significant mass of homeowners start to consume
energy more efficiently. Sometimes, for example, due to an
extreme increment in fuel prices, consumers decrease their fuel
consumption by changing their day to day activities, such as
driving less, or by adjusting their thermostat. These changes
cannot necessarily be counted as energy efficiency
improvements, as they may be reversed at any time once energy
prices decrease again. The World Energy Council [3] considers
energy efficiency a matter of individual behavior reflecting the
rationale of energy consumers, and of using the appropriate
technology, such as thermal regulation of room temperatures or
automatic standby mode for idle equipment.
Thus, in order to achieve energy efficiency it is important
to understand all factors that affect residential energy
consumption. Potential causes of residential energy
consumption have been investigated in previous studies, which
only represent viewpoints of respective investigators who are
concerned with a specific set of problems. A systematic study of
the various factors affecting residential energy consumption has
never been performed. This study summarizes more than fifty
prominent research articles in this area and delineates a
comprehensive list of factors affecting residential energy
consumption.
The following section describes how the authors analyzed
and summarized the conclusions of previous research studies
and ultimately generated a comprehensive list of factors that
affect residential energy consumption.
2. METHODOLOGY
2.1. Data Sources
The strategy used for this systematic review was an
extensive search of databases such as ‘Academic Search
Premier’, ‘Google Scholar’, ‘ERIC’, ‘Science Direct’, and
‘Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection’. The key
words entered for the search procedure were ‘energy’,
‘efficiency’, ‘residential’, ‘factors’, and ‘consumption’. In this
process various social, environmental, and psychological
journals (e.g., Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of
Environmental Psychology, The Journal of Consumer Affairs,
Energy Policy, etc.) were consulted. Further, reference lists of
all found articles were reviewed to identify additional published
material. This process was repeated till saturation.
2.2. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
The entire search process resulted in more than 200
research studies. In order to be selected for the review, it was
decided that individual studies that refer to energy consumption
factors associated with specific problems will not be included.
Instead, studies that comment on broader perspectives would be
included. Additionally, the selection pool was restricted to
peer-reviewed articles only. The selection pool was further
restricted pertaining to qualitative or quantitative research
published since 1973, when the oil crisis drew the attention of
researchers. Further exclusion criteria employed were: all
articles that were published in languages other than English,
articles that were redundant and duplication of published
research, and articles that only contained discussion about a
single, individual factor associated with residential energy
consumption. There were fifty one studies in total that met these
criteria.
2.3. Data Extraction
After verification of a study’s eligibility for inclusion
within this review, study details such as name of the study,
authors, journal, research design, data collection and data
analysis methods, results, and conclusion were determined
informally by the researchers and are discussed in the text. All
details related to these studies were extracted by two
researchers and reviewed by another researcher before the final
analysis.
2.4. Data Synthesis
Data was synthesized to study qualitative research relevant
to residential energy consumption. The template used for this
synthesis was based on Guidelines for Critical Review Form -
Qualitative Studies developed by the McMaster University
2 Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Occupational Therapy Evidence-Based Practice Research
Group [4]. The broader topics of a published study that were
used for creating the data pool were study purpose, literature
review, study design and its appropriateness, data collection,
procedural rigor, data analysis, theoretical connections,
trustworthiness, and conclusions.
3. RESULTS
All the factors identified by the aforementioned literature
search procedures are being listed and described hereby.
3.1. Household Size
Household size simply refers to the number of people per
household. Many researchers argue that occupancy has the
strongest influence on variation in energy consumption [5-19].
To be more specific, Lenzen et. al.[11] indicated a negative
correlation between household size and energy consumption per
capita, which is due to household members simply sharing
consumer items.
3.2. Householders’ Age Structure
Householders’ age in this study refers to the age of the
head of household. It has a strong influence on the residential
energy requirement [11, 13, 14, 18-22]. The results of a
statistical analysis performed by Pachauri [14] indicate that
where the head of the household is in the age range of 25-29
years, the per capita energy requirement is about 7% higher
than where the household head is less than 25 years old. This
percentage increases to 13% when the household head is above
the age of 50 years. Much of the energy used by older people is
based on their health and comfort [23]. Some of the reasons
proposed for an increase in per capita energy consumption with
age are the lack of information and knowledge about energy
conservation and energy usage patterns, inertia to change, and
importance of well-being, which is controlled by health and
comfort.
3.3. Time Spent at Home
Energy consumption has a direct correlation with the
amount of time the dwelling is occupied. The more time a
person spends at home, the more energy he/she will consume
for day to day activities. According to Van Raaji & Verhallen
[19] young households without children and with both partners
working outside the home tend to have a lower level of energy
use when compared to families who either stay at home or work
from home. After the children grow up and move out, the
household energy consumption decreases, but increases again
with the age of the parents [7, 19]. This increase in energy use
in later years is due to a tendency of elderly people to spend
more time at home and an increasing need of higher indoor
temperatures to ensure health and comfort [22].
3.4. Level of Urbanization
Urbanization is defined by the United Nations as the
movement of people from rural to urban areas with a population
growth equating to urban migration. Rapid urbanization causes
a rise in energy consumption per capita [5, 12, 14, 24-26]. With
an urbanization of lifestyle, the proportion of energy used for
cooking decreases, but the proportion of energy used for
recreation and comfort increases considerably.
3.5. Dwelling Size
Mileham and Brandt [23] have found that the size of a
dwelling is possibly the best predictor of money spent on
energy, since 21% of the variation in energy costs is attributed
to the size of the dwelling. According to Morrison and Gladhart
[21] the number of rooms in a dwelling contributes towards the
total energy consumption of a house. Obviously, the larger the
floor spaceof houses,the more energy is required for space
heating, cooling, and lighting.
3.6. Dwelling Type
Different types of dwellings include single family house,
town house, multi-family house, apartment, or even mobile
home. Single family detached homes are the most energy
intensive type of dwelling, consuming more BTU per household
than any other type [13, 27, 28].
3.7. Age and Characteristics of Dwelling
According to some researchers, an increase of vintage of a
dwelling relates to a considerably increased amount of energy
consumed for space heating or cooling [16, 20, 23]. Older
houses often lack energy efficiency, which would require capital
investment for incorporation of conservation measures, such as
insulation and storm windows. “Dwelling characteristics” refers
to the degree of home insulation, wind exposure, glazing,
efficiency of HVAC system, etc., which have a direct influence
on energy end use [15, 19, 29].
3.8. Education and Knowledge
A householder’s level of education appears to have an
impact on energy conservation beliefs and behaviors [36]. Junk
et. al. [20] observed in their research that higher education
levels of individuals’ resulted in lower energy consumption.
Other studies have also reported formal education as a factor
towards energy conservation [37]. Another study conducted in
1984 proved that people with higher levels of education were
more likely to engage in conservation measures for energy
efficiency [30, 31, 39-41]. This includes knowledge of energy
costs, energy usage, energy conservation behavior, and
consequence of these behaviors [19].
3 Copyright © 2011 by ASME
3.9. Inertia to Change
The inherent nature of people to be wary of investing in
the energy efficiency of their dwelling in spite of the probability
of receiving higher returns on investment reflects inertia to
change. Sometimes people fail to recognize the higher return on
investment in energy efficiency initiatives over time and give
way to investment with immediate gain [2].
3.10. Economic Condition
Economic growth has a strong influence on energy
consumption of a country [10]. A healthy economy is essential
to fulfill people’s needs and also to assure efficient distribution
of resources. Due to the increasing involvement of technology
in our day to day life, the economic system now decides the
consumption of technology and in turn affects the consumption
of energy [42].
3.11. Energy Price
Energy prices have an important influence on short term
and long term residential energy use. [9, 10, 15, 16, 43, 44].
Along with reductions in energy use, increased energy prices
also cause a shift in the type of energy used [15, 44].
Dzioubinski and Chipman [24] found that it is difficult to
estimate the effect of energy prices on residential energy
consumption in developing countries. This is because the
majority of energy consumed is via traditional fuels gathered
informally without any monetary expenditure, but mostly time
(e.g., gather fuel wood). Another study performed by Haas et.
al.[45] suggests that “small differences in energy prices do not
always have an impact on residential energy use. Only if the
price exceeds a certain threshold there is a reduction in energy
demand observable”.
3.12. Energy Efficient Equipment Affordability
Energy consumption in the residential sector can be parsed
into five major end uses: space heating, water heating, cooking,
lighting and electric appliances. Appliances can be further
broken down into refrigerators, clothes washers, dryers,
dishwashers and even TV. However, the magnitude of each end
use differs from country to country; for instance, in the United
States it is important to consider air conditioning as another
major end use. Appliance affordability refers to the cost of new
and improved appliances in accordance with the wage level of a
society. Appliance affordability is one of the leading causes for
increases in residential energy demand [8].
3.13. Weather and Climate Zone
In addition to the large number of human factors affecting
residential energy consumption, several studies have illustrated
the influence of weather variables on energy consumption and
on electricity demand in particular [6, 15, 29, 45, 46]. Weather
influences the heating and cooling degree-days, which are
quantitative indices used by energy analysts when calculating
the impact of outdoor temperature on energy use in buildings
[47]. Every building has a minimum energy use temperature,
i.e. when the building is neither heated nor cooled, which is
called “balance point” for that building. Each degree deviation
from the balance point results in either heating or cooling of the
building. This deviation from the balance point is mainly due to
the atmospheric temperature [47]. Other weather related factors
that influences energy consumption are humidity, wind flow,
and number of sunny days [15].
3.14. Dwelling Microclimate
Microclimate refers to the local temperature around a
dwelling. An important reason for considering the microclimate
in building design is to minimize the building’s energy use [48].
It can be assumed that people living in the same local region
typically share a similar socio-economic and regional climatic
conditions, and also have access to similar technology.
However, differences of energy consumption observed across
similar individual dwellings within a region make it obvious
that a building’s micro climate has an additional influence on
the total amount of energy consumed. Small scale climate
patterns resulting from the influence of topography, urban
forms, water bodies, vegetation, etc. are known as
Microclimates.
3.15. Increased Use of Renewable Energy
The challenges of people who are predominantly residing
in rural areas with restricted access to modern forms of energy
can be ameliorated by the use of renewable energy[49].
Renewable energy technologies can be less expensive in terms
of operating cost when compared with the production and
transportation of conventional energy sources. Examples for
renewable technologies are solar water heating, off-grid
electrification with solar photovoltaic (PV), small-scale biomass
power and heat generation, biofuels, grid-connected and off-
grid wind power, small hydropower, geothermal power, and
methane utilization from urban and industrial waste[50]. The
main guiding factor for renewable energy in this context is
initial equipment and installation cost, mostly driven by
technology and market development.
4. ANALYSIS
The energy consumption factors identified above can be
grouped under four broader categories based on their
prevalence. Some of the factors fall under one of the categories,
while there are considerable numbers that fall under two or even
more. In the following section the four broad categories are
briefly explained.
4 Copyright © 2011 by ASME
4.1. Demographics
Existing literature categorizes certain energy consumption
factors like household size, dwelling size, time spent at home,
level of urbanization, householders’ age, dwelling age and
characteristics, and dwelling type as household demographic
characteristics [8, 13, 16]. In a study concerning “300 Families’
Home Energy Use” conducted by Morrison and Gladhart [21],
the most significant determinants of household energy
consumption were: family size, age distribution, the number of
wage-earners in the household, and the occupancy time in the
house, which also falls into household demographic
characteristics.
4.2. Consumer Attitude
Consumer attitude has a profound influence on energy end
use. Just as energy consumption depends on the determinants
such as income, dwelling size, dwelling type, and dwelling
characteristics, attitude, knowledge, positive experience,
culture and social status are also important determinants of
energy use by an individual or a group [18]. The factors like
inertia to change, and education and knowledge, placed under
this category depend on the nature or characteristics of the
particular individual or group.
4.3. Economic Variables
Factors like economic condition, energy price, and energy
efficient equipment affordability are grouped under this
category. According to previous studies the most important
economic variables influencing residential energy consumption
are total household income [8, 51, 52], energy prices [8, 15],
and energy efficiency equipment prices [10].
4.4. Climate
Day-to-day habits and practices of consumers originate to
some extent from the climate they experience in their native
places. Several national level and regional level studies have
been conducted in the United States to determine how energy
use in the residential building stock relates to climate [53-59].
The factors influencing residential energy consumption grouped
under climate category are weather, dwelling microclimate, and
atmospheric temperature.
5. CONCLUSION
This systematic analysis adds a holistic view of the
influence of human behavior as well as some non-human causes
such as weather, energy price etc on energy consumption to the
existing body of knowledge. The research successfully performs
an analysis of identifying factors that have contributed to
residential energy consumption. Based on the aforementioned
discussion, it is clearly implicated that in order to optimize
energy efficiency and to effectively control the use of household
energy, concrete measures are warranted. These measures
would assume an interdisciplinary approach by addressing a
variety of human and non-human factors that play a vital role in
household energy consumption. Future researchers should
conduct in depth qualitative analyses to quantify the factors that
could possibly affect household energy consumption and could
affect energy efficiency. Policymakers should meticulously
consider various multiple strategies to improve energy
efficiency and alleviate the steady increment in modern
household energy consumption. Leadership is needed by
organizations like American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy to help reduce household energy consumption and to
optimize energy efficiency by assisting in the development of
best practices and policies. This can be accomplished by the
maneuvering of a variety of political, social, cultural,
individual, and economic influences on household energy
consumption.
REFERENCES
[1] Lovins, A. B., 1976, "Energy Strategy: The Road Not
Taken," pp.
[2] Acg, 2004, "The Energy Efficiency Gap: Market Failures
and Policy Options," Technical Report No. The Allen
Consulting Group, Australia.
[3] World Energy Council, 2008, "Energy Efficiency Policies
around the World: Review and Evaluation," Technical Report
No. London, UK.
[4] Law, M., Stewart, D., Letts, L., Pollock, N., Bosch, J., and
Westmorland, M., 1998, Guidelines for Critical Review Form -
Qualitative Studies, January 12, http://www-
fhs.mcmaster.ca/rehab/ebp/pdf/qualguidelines.pdf
[5] Bakhtiari, A. M. S., and Shahbudaghlou, F., 2000, "Energy
Consumption in the Islamic Republic of Iran," OPEC Review,
24(3), pp. 211-233.
[6] Bouchelle, M. P., Parker, D. S., and Anello, M. T., 2000,
"Factors Influencing Water Heating Energy Use and Peak
Demand in a Large Scale Residential Monitoring Study," eds.,
San Antonio, Texas, US, pp.
[7] Brown, M. A., and Rollinson, P. A., 1985, "Residential
Energy Consumption in Low-Income and Elderly Households:
How Nondiscretionary Is It," Journal Name: Energy Syst.
Policy; (United States); Journal Volume: 9:3, pp. Medium: X;
Size: Pages: 271-301.
[8] Haas, R., 1997, "Energy Efficiency Indicators in the
Residential Sector : What Do We Know and What Has to Be
Ensured?," Energy Policy, 25(7-9), pp. 789-802.
[9] Halvorsen, B., and Larsen, B. M., 2001, "Norwegian
Residential Electricity Demand--a Microeconomic Assessment
of the Growth from 1976 to 1993," Energy Policy, 29(3), pp.
227-236.
[10] Lam, J. C., 1998, "Climatic and Economic Influences on
Residential Electricity Consumption," Energy Conversion and
Management, 39(pp. 623-629.
5 Copyright © 2011 by ASME
[11] Lenzen, M., Dey, C., and Foran, B., 2004, "Energy
Requirements of Sydney Households," Ecological Economics,
49(3), pp. 375-399.
[12] Lenzen, M., Wier, M., Cohen, C., Hayami, H., Pachauri,
S., and Schaeffer, R., 2006, "A Comparative Multivariate
Analysis of Household Energy Requirements in Australia,
Brazil, Denmark, India and Japan," Energy, 31(2-3), pp. 181-
207.
[13] O'neill, B. C., and Chen, B. S., 2002, "Demographic
Determinants of Household Energy Use in the United States,"
Population and Development Review, 28(Supplement:
Population and Environment: Methods of Analysis), pp. 53-88.
[14] Pachauri, S., 2004, "An Analysis of Cross-Sectional
Variations in Total Household Energy Requirements in India
Using Micro Survey Data," Energy Policy, 32(15), pp. 1723-
1735.
[15] Schipper, L., Ketoff, A., and Kahane, A., 1985,
"Explaining Residential Energy Use by International Bottom-up
Comparisons," Annual Review of Energy, 10(1), pp. 341-405.
[16] Tiwari, P., 2000, "Architectural, Demographic, and
Economic Causes of Electricity Consumption in Bombay,"
Journal of Policy Modeling, 22(1), pp. 81-98.
[17] Tso, G. K. F., and Yau, K. K. W., 2003, "A Study of
Domestic Energy Usage Patterns in Hong Kong," Energy,
28(15), pp. 1671-1682.
[18] Uitdenbogerd, D., Egmond, C., Jonkers, R., and Kok, G.,
2007, "Energy-Related Intervention Success Factors: A
Literature Review," eds., Cote d'Azur, France, pp.
[19] Van Raaij, W. F., and Verhallen, T. M. M., 1983, "A
Behavioral Model of Residential Energy Use," Journal of
Economic Psychology, 3(1), pp. 39-63.
[20] Junk, V. W., Junk, W. S., and Jones, J. C., 1987, "Impacts
of Energy Audits on Home Energy Consumption," Journal of
Consumer Studies and Home Economics, 11(pp. 21-38.
[21] Morrison, B. M., and Gladhart, P. M., 1976, "Energy and
Families: The Crisis and the Response," Journal of home
economics 68(1), pp. 15.
[22] Tonn, B., and Eisenberg, J., 2007, "The Aging Us
Population and Residential Energy Demand," Energy Policy,
35(1), pp. 743-745.
[23] Mileham, C. K., and Brandt, J. A., 1990, "Influence of
Income on Energy Beliefs and Behaviors of Urban Elderly,"
Journal of Housing For the Elderly, 6(1), pp. 107 - 124.
[24] Dzioubinski, O., and Chipman, R., 1999, "Trends in
Consumption and Production: Household Energy
Consumption," Technical Report No. ST/ESA/1999/DR.6,
United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs,
Washington, DC, US.
[25] Mehrzad, E., Masoud, A., and Mansour, E., 2007,
"Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Household Energy
Consumption in Qom, Iran," Journal of Applied Science, 7(19),
pp. 2876-2880.
[26] Pachauri, S., and Jiang, L., 2008, "The Household Energy
Transition in India and China," Energy Policy, 36(11), pp.
4022-4035.
[27] Eia, 1995, "Measuring Energy Efficiency in the United
States' Economy: A Beginning " Technical Report No.
DOE/EIA-0555(95)/2, Department of Energy, Washington, DC,
US.
[28] Poortinga, W., Steg, L., and Vlek, C., 2004, "Values,
Environmental Concern, and Environmental Behavior: A Study
into Household Energy Use," Environment and Behavior, 36(1),
pp. 70-93.
[29] Beccali, M., Cellura, M., Lo Brano, V., and Marvuglia, A.,
2008, "Short-Term Prediction of Household Electricity
Consumption: Assessing Weather Sensitivity in a Mediterranean
Area," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 12(8), pp.
2040-2065.
[30] Balderjahn, I., 1988, "Personality Variables and
Environmental Attitudes as Predictors of Ecologically
Responsible Consumption Patterns," Journal of Business
Research, 17(1), pp. 51-56.
[31] Liere, K. D. V., and Dunlap, R. E., 1980, "The Social
Bases of Environmental Concern: A Review of Hypotheses,
Explanations and Empirical Evidence," The Public Opinion
Quarterly, 44(2), pp. 181-197.
[32] Webster, F. E., Jr., 1975, "Determining the Characteristics
of the Socially Conscious Consumer," The Journal of Consumer
Research, 2(3), pp. 188-196.
[33] Harry, J., 1971, "Work and Leisure: Situational Attitudes,"
The Pacific Sociological Review, 14(3), pp. 301-309.
[34] Malkis, A., and Grasmick, H. G., 1977, "Support for the
Ideology of the Environmental Movement: Tests of Alternative
Hypotheses," Western Sociological Review, 8(1), pp. 25-47.
[35] Mannheim, K., 1972, Essays on the Sociology of
Knowledge, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., London, UK, The
Problem of Generations.
[36] Cunningham, W. H., and Lopreato, S. C., 1977, Energy
Use and Conservation Incentives: A Study of the Southwestern
United States, Praeger Publisher, New York, US.
[37] Yergin, D., 1980, Energy Future Report of the Energy
Project at the Harvard Business School, Ballantine Books, New
York, US, Conservation: The Key Energy Sources.
[38] Junk, V. W., Jones, J. C., and Kessel, E., 1984, "Interest
and Participation in Energy Audit Programs," Journal of
Housing and Society, 11(pp. 39-44.
[39] Berkowitz, L., and Lutterman, K. G., 1968, "The
Traditional Socially Responsible Personality," The Public
Opinion Quarterly, 32(2), pp. 169-185.
[40] Roberts, J. A., 1996, "Green Consumers in the 1990s:
Profile and Implications for Advertising," Journal of Business
Research, 36(3), pp. 217-231.
[41] Tognacci, L. N., Weigel, R. H., Wideen, M. F., and Vernon,
D. T. A., 1972, "Environmental Quality: How Universal Is
Public Concern?," Environment and Behavior, 4(1), pp. 73-86.
[42] Zabel, H.-U., 2005, "A Model of Human Behaviour for
Sustainability," International Journal of Social Economics,
32(8), pp. 717-734.
[43] Archibald, R., and Gillingham, R., 1980, "An Analysis of
the Short-Run Consumer Demand for Gasoline Using
6 Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Household Survey Data," The Review of Economics and
Statistics, 62(4), pp. 622-628.
[44] Schipper, L., and Ketoff, A., 1983, "Home Energy Use in
Nine Oecd Countries, 1960-1980," Energy Policy, 11(2), pp.
131-147.
[45] Haas, R., Auer, H., and Biermayr, P., 1998, "The Impact of
Consumer Behavior on Residential Energy Demand for Space
Heating," Energy and Buildings, 27(2), pp. 195-205.
[46] Meyers, S., and Schipper, L., 1984, "Energy in American
Homes: Change and Prospects," Energy, 9(6), pp. 495-504.
[47] Wilbanks, T. J., Bhatt, V., Bilello, D. E., Bull, S. R.,
Ekmann, J., Horak, W. C., Huang, Y. J., Levine, M. D., Sale, M.
J., Schmalzer, D. K., and Scott, M. J., 2008, "Effects of Climate
Change on Energy Production and Use in the United States "
Technical Report No. Department of Energy, Office of
Biological & Environmental Research, Washington, DC, US.
[48] Brown, R. D., and Gillespie, T. J., 1995, Microclimatic
Landscape Design: Creating Thermal Comfort and Energy
Efficiency, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , New York, US.
[49] Painuly, J. P., 2001, "Barriers to Renewable Energy
Penetration; a Framework for Analysis," Renewable Energy,
24(1), pp. 73-89.
[50] Martinot, E., and Mcdoom, O., 2000, "Promoting Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy," Technical Report No.
Global Environment Facility, Washington, DC, US.
[51] Karlsson, N., Dellgran, P., Klingander, B., and Gärling, T.,
2004, "Household Consumption: Influences of Aspiration
Level, Social Comparison, and Money Management," Journal
of Economic Psychology, 25(6), pp. 753-769.
[52] Vringer, K., Aalbers, T., and Blok, K., 2007, "Household
Energy Requirement and Value Patterns," Energy Policy, 35(1),
pp. 553-566.
[53] Amato, A. D., Ruth, M., Kirshen, P., and Horwitz, J., 2005,
"Regional Energy Demand Responses to Climate Change:
Methodology and Application to the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts " Climate Change, 71(1-2), pp. 175-201.
[54] Huang, Y. J., 2006, "The Impact of Climate Change on the
Energy Use of the U.S. Residential and Commercial Building
Sectors," Technical Report No. LBNL-60754, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA.
[55] Loveland, J. E., and Brown, G. Z., 1990, "Impacts of
Climate Change on the Energy Performance of Buildings in the
United States," Technical Report No. OTA/UW/UO, Contract
J3-4825.0, U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment,
Washington, DC, US.
[56] Mansur, E. T., Mendelsohn, R. O., and Morrison, W.,
2005,
[57] Rosenthal, D. H., and Gruenspecht, H. K., 1995, "Effects
of Global Warming on Energy Use for Space Heating and
Cooling in the United States," Energy Journal, 16(2), pp. 77-96.
[58] Ruth, M., and Lin, A.-C., 2006, "Regional Energy Demand
and Adaptations to Climate Change: Methodology and
Application to the State of Maryland, USA," Energy Policy,
34(17), pp. 2820-2833.
[59] Scott, M. J., Dirks, J. A., and Cort, K. A., 2005, "The
Adaptive Value of Energy Efficiency Programs in a Warmer
World: Building Energy Efficiency Offsets Effects of Climate
Change," eds., Brooklyn, New York, US, pp.

7 Copyright © 2011 by ASME

APPENDIX

No. Research Title Author Year Study Target Area Factor Identified
Dwelling size, age of dwelling, income,
Factors Affecting Residential J. Donovan, Household energy
1 1976 energy price, eco-consciousness,
Heating Energy Consumption W. Fischer consumption
technological improvement
Income, householder age, household size,
Energy and Families: The Crisis and B. Morrison, Household energy
2 1976 dwelling size, housing type, equipment
the Response P. Gladhart consumption
used, eco consciousness
Residential energy
Residential Energy Use and
consumption for heating
3 Conservation in Denmark, 1965- L. Schipper 1983 Energy price, income
home and water in
1980
Denmark
Home Energy Use in Nine OECD L. Schipper, Comparison of home Income, energy price, dwelling size,
4 1983
Countries A. Ketoff energy consumption weather, dwelling characteristics
Technological improvement, lifestyle,
housing type (S/M), dwelling
A Behavioral Model of Residential W. Van Raaij, Household energy
5 1983 characteristics, income, household size, age,
Energy Use T. Verhallen consumption
eco-consciousness, weather, urbanization,
energy price
An Update on Econometric Studies D. Bohi, Energy consumption vs.
6 1984 Energy price
of Energy Demand Behavior M. Zimmerman energy price
Energy in American Homes: Change S. Meyers, Household energy
7 1984 Weather, housing type
and Prospects L. Schipper consumption
Energy price, income, dwelling size,
Residential Energy Use and Household energy household size, lifestyle (indoor
8 L. Schipper 1984
Conservation in Sweden consumption in Sweden temperature), equipments used, housing
type (S/M)
J. Black, Attitudes, culture, indoor temperature
Personal and Contextual Influences Household energy
9 P. Stern, 1985 setting, dwelling characteristics, energy
on Household Energy Adaptations consumption
J. Elworth price
Residential Energy Consumption in
Low income and elderly
Low-Income and Elderly M. Brown,
10 1985 household energy Household size, eco-consciousness
Households: How Nondiscretionary P. Rollinson
consumption
Is It
Lifestyle, dwelling characteristics,
Explaining Residential Energy Use L. Schipper,
Household energy equipment availability, indoor temperature,
11 by International Bottom-Up A. Ketoff, 1985
consumption energy price, household size, type of fuels,
Comparisons A. Kahane
dwelling size, technology improvement
V. Junk, Eco-consciousness, income, dwelling
Impacts of Energy Audits on Home Household energy
12 W. Junk, 1987 characteristics, type of fuel used, age,
Energy Consumption consumption
J. Jones dwelling age, housing type (s/m)
Personality Variables and
Environmental Attitudes as Household energy Attitude, education, dwelling
13 I. Balderjahn 1988
Predictors of Ecologically consumption characteristics, household expenditure
Responsible Consumption Patterns
L. Schipper,
Income, energy price, dwelling size,
Linking Lifestyle and Energy Use: A S. Bartlett, Household energy
14 1989 dwelling characteristics, dwelling age,
Matter of Time? D. Hawk, consumption
household size, equipment ownership
E. Vine
Influence of Income on Energy
C. Mileham, Household energy Income, dwelling size, household size, age
15 Beliefs and Behaviors of Urban 1990
J. Brandt consumption of elderly of dwelling
Elderly
The Structure and Intensity of R. Howarth,
Overall energy
16 Energy Use: Trends in Five OECD L. Schipper, 1992 Lifestyle, income, technology available
consumption
Nations B. Andersson

8 Copyright © 2011 by ASME

No. Research Title Author Year Study Target Area Factor Identified
Effect of Thermal Improvements in
L. Hsueh, Energy savings from
17 Housing on Residential Energy 1993 Weather, income, dwelling size
J. Gerner home improvement
Demand
Measuring Energy Efficiency in the
Household energy Housing type (S/M), dwelling size,
18 United States' Economy: A DOE 1995
consumption in US dwelling characteristics, weather
Beginning
The Direct and Indirect Energy Household energy
K. Vringer,
19 Requirements of Households in the 1995 consumption in Income, education, leisure
K. Blok
Netherlands Netherlands
Lifestyle Change and Energy Use in
Household energy
20 Japan: Household Equipment and H. Nakagami 1996 Income, lifestyle, dwelling size
consumption
Energy Consumption
H. Wilhite,
A Cross-Cultural Analysis of H. Nakagami,
Household energy Dwelling size, eco-consciousness, lifestyle,
21 Household Energy Use Behaviour T. Masuda, 1996
consumption weather, cultural attitudes, income
in Japan and Norway Y. Yamaga,
H. Haneda
Household size, householder age, energy
Energy Efficiency Indicators in the
Household energy price, equipment price, income, eco-
22 Residential Sector: What Do We R. Haas 1997
consumption consciousness, equipments used, dwelling
Know and What Has to be Ensured?
size, weather
Some Reflections on Barriers to the Household energy
23 L. Weber 1997 Eco-consciousness
Efficient Use of Energy consumption
Rural Household Energy
Consumption: The Effects of Access Rural household energy
24 M. Davis 1998 Income
to Electricity -Evidence from South consumption
Africa
The Impact of Consumer Behavior R. Haas,
Household energy Availability of fuel, energy price, indoor
25 on Residential Energy Demand for H. Auer, 1998
consumption temperature, weather
Space Heating P. Biermayr
Climatic and Economic Influences
Household electricity Income, household size, weather, energy
26 on Residential Electricity J. Lam 1998
consumption price
Consumption
Reducing Household Energy
G. Brandon, Household energy Income, socio-demographics,
27 Consumption: A Qualitative and 1999
A. Lewis consumption environmental attitudes, information
Quantitative Field Study
Trends in Consumption and Energy price, equipment price, income,
O. Dzioubinski, Household energy
28 Production: Household Energy 1999 availability of fuel, availability of
R. Chipman consumption
Consumption equipment
E. Mathews,
Estimating the Electricity Savings Household energy
29 M. Kleingeld, 1999 Dwelling characteristics
Effect of Ceiling Insulation consumption
P. Taylor
Energy Consumption in the Islamic A.Bakhtiari, Energy consumption in Income, household size, urbanization,
30 2000
Republic of Iran F. Shahbudaghlou Iran energy price
Factors Influencing Water Heating
M. Bouchelle,
Energy Use and Peak Demand in a Household water
31 D. Parker, 2000 Weather, household size
Large Scale Residential Monitoring heating energy use
M. Anello
Study
Architectural, Demographic, and Household energy Income, energy price, dwelling size,
2 Economic Causes of Electricity P. Tiwari 2000 consumption in dwelling characteristics, dwelling age,
Consumption in Bombay Bombay, India household size
Time spent at home, dwelling
The Uses of Energy in the Domestic Household energy
33 J. Andrade 2001 characteristics, information and knowledge,
Sector consumption
household size, householders age

9 Copyright © 2011 by ASME

No. Research Title Author Year Study Target Area Factor Identified
Norwegian Residential Electricity
Demand -A Microeconomic B. Halvorsen, Household electricity Household size, equipments used, income,
34 2001
Assessment of the Growth from B. Larsen consumption in Norway dwelling size, energy price
1976 to 1993
I. Blasco Lucas,
Behavioral Factors Study of
E. Hidalgo, Household energy Household size, householder age, time
35 Residential Users Which Influence 2001
G. Gomez, consumption spend at home
the Energy Consumption
R. Rosés
Demographic Determinants of
B. O'Neill, Household energy
36 Household Energy Use in the 2002 Householder age, household size
B. Chen consumption in US
United States
The Direct and Indirect Energy A. Reinders, Household energy
Lifestyle, weather, culture, dwelling
37 Requirement of Households in the K. Vringer, 2003 consumption in EU
characteristics
European Union K. Blok countries
Weather, dwelling characteristics, dwelling
A Study of Domestic Energy Usage G. Tso, Household energy
38 2003 size, income, household size, equipment
Patterns in Hong Kong K. Yau consumption
used
Household Consumption: N. Karlsson,
Influences of Aspiration Level, P. Dellgran, Household energy
39 2004 Income, eco-consciousness
Social Comparison, and Money B. Klingander, consumption
Management T. Gärling
M. Lenzen,
Energy Requirements of Sydney Household energy Household size, income, household age and
40 C. Dey, 2004
Households consumption in Sydney urbanization
B. Foran
An Analysis of Cross-Sectional
Variation in Total Household Household energy Income, weather, urbanization, household
41 S. Pachauri 2004
Energy Requirement in India Using consumption size, lifestyle, householder age
Micro Survey Data
C. Cohen,
Energy Requirements of Household energy
42 M. Lenzen, 2005 Income
Households in Brazil consumption in Brazil
R. Schaeffer
Study on Affecting Factors and
W. Xiaohua, Rural household energy
43 Standard of Rural Household 2005 Income, annual temperature
F. Zhenmin consumption in China
Energy Consumption in China
The Effects of Household
Characteristics and Energy Use
D. Allen, Household energy Income, energy monitoring system, eco-
44 Consciousness on the Effectiveness 2006
K. Janda consumption consciousness
of Real-Time Energy Use Feedback:
A Pilot Study
M. Lenzen,
A Comparative Multivariate M. Wier,
Analysis of Household Energy C. Cohen, Household energy Income, household size, housing type
45 2006
Requirements in Australia, Brazil, H. Hayami, consumption (S/M), urbanization
Denmark, India, and Japan S. Pachauri,
R. Schaeffer
Socioeconomic Factors Affecting E. Mehrzad,
Household energy
46 Household Energy Consumption in A. Masoud, 2007 Eco-consciousness, urbanization
consumption in Iran
Qom, Iran E. Mansour
K. Vringer,
Household Energy Requirement and Household energy
47 T. Aalbers, 2007 Eco-consciousness
Value Patterns consumption
K. Blok
D.Uitdenbogerd,
Energy-Related Intervention Household size, income, householder age,
C. Egmond, Household energy
48 Success Factors: A Literature 2007 dwelling characteristics, technological
R. Jonkers, consumption
Review improvement, eco-consciousness, lifestyle
G. Kok

10 Copyright © 2011 by ASME

No. Research Title Author Year Study Target Area Factor Identified
Short-Term Prediction of Household M. Beccali,
Electricity Consumption: Assessing M. Cellura, Household electricity
49 2008 Weather
Weather Sensitivity in a V. Lo Brano, consumption
Mediterranean Area A. Marvuglia
Changing of Energy Consumption
Pattern from Rural Households to Rural and urban
J. Cai,
50 Urban Households in China: An 2008 household energy Urbanization
Z. Jiang
Example from Shaanxi Province, consumption
China
Rural and urban
The Household Energy Transition in S. Pachauri,
51 2008 household energy Income, energy price, urbanization
India and China L. Jiang
consumption

11 Copyright © 2011 by ASME