Households big energy users

Press, 27 October 1981, Page 6

Households big energy users

PA Wellington Households could be using about half of all energy used in New Zealand, according to an Energy Research and Development Committee report just released. The study suggests that life round the home is the end user of 51 per ceht of total energy. Expert activities account for another 22 per cent, capital formation 14 per cent and Government services 8.5 per cent. The results were obtained by reworking the 1971 industry input-output survey. By contrast traditional methods include transport sectors, and calculate that households use 15 per cent of total energy, and commerce and industry 37 per cent. Local transport accounts for 41 per cent, and international travel 7 per cent. The report’s co-author, Dr N. J. Peat, yesterday defended the publication of the study based on data 10 years out of date.

“It describes energy use within the over-all structure, and the structure cannot change that fact. The structural results are still generally reasonable.” Possible changes since 1971 were reduced oil and household consumption, and increased electricity and ex-port-sector use. “But movements would be less than 5 per cent,” Dr Peat said.

The report suggested that traditional methods of showing end users of energy were inadequate. “The method adopted here of showing how energy contributes to final demand puts

energy in its proper place in the economy, as a vital means to ah end of society,” it said.

“Transport, industry, and ■ commerce are not ends in themselves. They are only means, and to assign energy" demands to them avoids ask-; ing the implicit question—for what purpose?” The 1971 figures show the importance of oil for all sectors. About half of the household energy budget was tied to oil, the share rising to about two-thirds for capital’ and export sectors. Dr Peat said the study would be updated next year when results of the 1976 input-output industry survey were available.