Analytical comparison between electricity consumption and behavioral characteristics of Swedish households in rented apartments

Sufficient data of electricity consumption during large periods of time are accumulated and analyzed in order to develop appropriate electricity-saving measures. An important first step is to analyze and identify buildings/households that have an energy saving potential. In this work an evaluation of monthly electricity consumption data was conducted in identical buildings in the city of Västerås in Sweden. Different behavioral consumption profiles have been analyzed using information from two sources: technical data of electricity consumption and behavioral parameters for each household obtained from a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was formed by three groups of questions which concerned residents’ characteristics, type and usage of electrical appliances, and attitudes towards energy consumption. The results show that electricity consumption profile of individual household can be mostly related to a given parameter. For example, the total household’s income resulted one of the important factors determining the consumer behavior and as a rule is related to higher electricity consumption. Another important conclusion of our questionnaire-based analysis is the necessity for more detailed information about household/tenants behavior specifying the technical features of appliances for a given household.

► We analyzed electricity consumption and behavior of households with identical characteristics.
► Households’ electricity consumption is registered and shown by in-home-displays.
► Consumption depends mainly on individual consumers’ characteristics.
► Income is the main factor influencing electricity consumption.
► Personalized monitoring needed for efficient energy usage and feedback.