Domestic energy consumption: temporal unregulated electrical energy consumption in kitchens in Scottish affordable and social housing

Abstract

Housing contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. It is also a social determinant of health. In Scotland, 25% of households in 2019 were in fuel poverty. Current (2023) energy price increases are likely to further increase this proportion, particularly among low-income families. Fuel affordability measures implemented by the Scottish and UK Governments generally focus on achieving thermal comfort, largely disregarding appliance energy usage, termed ‘unregulated loads’. These include essential household items in kitchens such as the cooker, washing machines, fridges and freezers. The inability of occupants to afford to cook and store food and launder clothing can have broader health implications. This study reviews one year of energy consumption data collected from 17 newly constructed energy-efficient dwellings available for a combination of social rent and purchased through an affordable shared equity scheme in Scotland. The data are used to determine the proportion of total household energy consumption used in kitchen environments. Analysis indicated a vast range of 20–72% (41% mean) of total household electricity consumption was linked to the kitchen, excluding artificial lighting. In this study, energy efficiency ratings of the cookers, fridges, freezers and washing machines identified that those in social housing had the least energy-efficient kitchen appliances compared to those in purchased affordable homes. This suggests inequitable practices for kitchen appliance procurement in social homes compared with affordable homes. Overall, this study highlighted the need for larger-scale, in situ research to evaluate energy efficiency and consumption in kitchens to inform social landlords and policymakers to reduce disparities and to form a focus on fuel poverty calculations.