Electricity Use at Home

This project considers the electricity load of individual public housing units across multiple providers from several perspectives. Electricity load, both total amount and peak demand, is important for planning the electricity network.  The cost of electricity is also important for budget-constrained households that typically live in public housing. Yet the design of dwellings, which the tenants have no control over, has a large effect on the amount of energy needed to run them effectively. This project explores how these competing influences and consequences interact.

We will be examining the electricity profiles of public housing tenants across a range of locations, household characteristics and housing types. We will be looking at how electricity use is influenced by the design of the dwelling, both independently and combined with, the demographics of its occupants, their energy saving behaviours and the dwelling location. We will also look at the relationship between electricity use and temperature, with the aim of estimating the amount of electricity required for public housing units to be heated to WHO recommended levels. We want to understand what energy uses are associated with households being able to manaaki (feel able to welcome others into their home) and whether this relationship is different for Māori households.

Project lead: Helen Viggers