We hear so much about average energy consumption in the media but what is average if homes are built in different centuries and with different numbers of bedrooms?
Energy usage depends on a lot of different factors including: the local climate, whether you cook with gas or electric, the number of people in the home, whether the home is empty during working hours, what type of appliances are being used, the efficiency of the boiler…the list goes on.
Use Our Average Energy Consumption Calculator
The National Energy Efficiency Database (NEED) has some good data on average energy consumption for different types of properties. It allows you to compare your own energy bill with a home similar to your own.
Use our Average Energy Consumption Calculator to explore this in more detail.
Other Data Sources
There are a few sources of data which can be used as a more general guide to the average energy bill. In 2011 Ofgem reckon that the average home uses 19,800 kWh of energy per year which at September 2014 prices is around £1,200. The NHBC Foundation in 2013 didn’t come up with one average price but compared Victorian properties with a new property built to 2013 standards. This showed that a Victorian 3 bedroom semi may use around £1,700 of energy per year compared to a bill of less than half that for its 2013 equivalent. If you can buy a zero carbon home built to a high standard then this figure can fall to around £450 per year.
Further details on Ofgem and NHBC are below.
Ofgem average energy consumption
Ofgem takes an average house with a medium level of energy consumption and come up with:
- 16,500 kWh of gas usage (approx £672 at Sept 2014 prices)
- 3,300 kWh of electricity usage (approx £518 at Sept 2014 prices)
- 19,800 kWh of total energy use (approx £1,190 at Sept 2014 prices)
NHBC Foundation average energy consumption
This 2013 survey breaks down different house ages and sizes and gives overall figures for each. There is no breakdown by type of energy (gas or electricity)
Victorian properties:
- 4 bedroom detached £2,460
- 3 bedroom semi £1,670
- 4 bedroom mid terrace £1,430
- 1 bedroom ground floor flat £940
New build to 2013 Building regulations:
- 4 bedroom detached £1,050
- 3 bedroom semi £780
- 4 bedroom mid terrace £760
- 1 bedroom ground floor flat £500
Houses built to 2016 zero carbon standard:
- 4 bedroom detached £620
- 3 bedroom semi £450
- 4 bedroom mid terrace £450
- 1 bedroom ground floor flat £380
Note the 2016 energy usage excludes electricity used that is generated from solar pv panels.
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