Households continue to drive energy demand

Embargoed until 10:45am – 25 June 2008

Households continue to drive energy demand

In 2006, households accounted for nearly 31 percent of New Zealand’s total energy demand, as stated by a report released by Statistics New Zealand today. According to Energy and the Economy: 1997–2006, this proportion makes households the largest consumers of energy. Most of the energy used by households during this period was in the form of petrol for private motor vehicles (56 percent). The second largest energy consumer was the transport and storage industry, which accounted for 25 percent of total energy demand.

The report, Energy and the Economy: 1997–2006, reviews the energy used by households, government and industry for the period 1997 to 2006 and the links to economic activity.

From 1997 to 2006, New Zealand’s total energy demand increased by 21 percent, while economic activity, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), increased by 33 percent. These results suggest that the growth of New Zealand’s economy is becoming less reliant on energy use.

The report Energy and the Economy: 1997–2006 and associated tables are available on the Statistics New Zealand website (http://www.stats.govt.nz/). This report is part of an environmental series measuring the reliance of our economy on natural resources.

Dallas Welch (Mrs)
Acting Government Statistician
25 June 2008

ENDS