Average Energy use by Property Type

Figures 8 and 9 show average electricity and gas use per square metre (kWh/m²) for each property type. This standardised value indicates differences in intensity of electricity and gas use between property types.

Figure 8 shows that retail and office properties continued to use electricity most intensely on a m² basis compared with other property types in 2005/6. This is likely to be because offices and shopping centres use electricity intensively on a prolonged basis for lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and small power equipment. The high electricity consumption (kWh/m²) for retail properties is wholly attributable to the effect on the figures of one property and this data will be reviewed in 2007.

The graph above shows standardised electricity consumption for each property type as average electricity use per unit of common floor area (kWh/m²). This is calculated by dividing the total consumption for each property by its common floor area and then deriving an average of this for all the properties within each property type for which reliable common floor area data were available (72 of 78 properties). The average values shown in the Figure cannot indicate variability which exists between properties within a property type in terms of use of electricity per m².

Figure 9 shows that offices continued to use gas most intensely on a m² basis compared with other property types. This is likely to be because offices use gas to provide space heating and hot water. Gas consumption per m² for offices has remained constant from 2004/5 to 2005/6. Very few of the residential and retail warehouse properties use gas and reported gas use was very low per square metre for these property types.

The graph above shows standardised gas consumption for each property type as average gas use per unit of common floor area (kWh/m²). This is calculated by dividing the total consumption for each property by its common floor area and then deriving an average of this for all the properties within each property type for which reliable common floor area data were available (18 of 24 properties). The average values shown in the Figure cannot indicate variability which exists between properties within a property type in terms of use of gas per m².