Find out where and how much energy is used in the average Australian home.
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Where energy is used in the home Average amount of energy used in the home each year Where energy is used in the home
The average energy use in a Australian home can be broken down into the following categories, in order of highest energy use to lowest energy use:
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Average amount of energy used in the home each year
The actual amount of energy used by a household is affected by:
- the number of people living in the household
- what fuels are used – ie electricity and/or gas
- the efficiency of the building, appliances and occupants.
The following tables give a guide to the typical amounts of energy used by homes where:
Even if a household uses less energy than the average shown, it is likely that a its energy efficiency can be improved.
These figures come from a survey of energy bills conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and research scientist Monica Oliphant.
Electricity used for everything including water heating, heating and cooking
| Number of people in the home | Electricity (kWh per year) |
|---|
| One | 4,900 - 6,600 |
| Two | 6,600 - 8,800 |
| Three | 7,600 - 10,100 |
| Four | 8,700 - 11,200 |
| Five | 12,200 - 16,300 |
| Six or more | 11,600 - 15,500 |
| Average | 6,500 - 8,700 |
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Gas used for hot water, heating and cooking
| Number of people in the home | Electricity (kWh per year) | Mains gas (MJ per year) |
|---|
| One | 2,300 - 3,100 | 17,900 - 23,900 |
| Two | 3,300 - 4,400 | 27,000 - 36,000 |
| Three | 4,200 - 5,600 | 34,400 - 45,900 |
| Four | 5,000 - 6,600 | 40,000 - 53,000 |
| Five | 6,000 - 8,000 | 46,300 - 62,000 |
| Six or more | 4,300 - 5,800 | 41,000 - 52,600 |
| Average | 3,800 - 5,100 | 30,600 - 41,000 |
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Mixture of electricity and gas used for hot water, heating and cooking
| Number of people in the home | Electricity (kWh per year) | Mains gas (MJ per year) |
|---|
| One | 2,800 - 3,700 | 10,900 - 14,500 |
| Two | 4,500 - 6,000 | 16,200 - 21,600 |
| Three | 5,200 - 7,000 | 19,000 - 25,100 |
| Four | 6,100 - 8,200 | 23,000 - 30,700 |
| Five | 7,500 - 10,000 | 25,000 - 33,000 |
| Six or more | 7,500 - 10,000 | 25,200 - 33,600 |
| Average | 4,650 - 6,200 | 16,800 - 22,500 |
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