Households using more than a quarter of nation's energy supplies

By NZPA

Tuesday 24th January 2006

The nation's households are the single biggest energy "consumer", soaking up more than a quarter of the nation's electricity and other energy.

"Energy, Economy and Emissions" figures released today by Statistics New Zealand for 1997 to 2003 showed the total consumer demand increased 15% to its highest level, with carbon dioxide emissions - usually a by-product of burning fossil fuels - jumping by 21%.

Over the same period, the national economy grew by 19%.

But other figures recorded over the two years from 2003-2005 showed New Zealand's total final consumer energy demand then dropped by 3%, because of a big drop in direct sales of natural gas.

Government Statistician Brian Pink said today that though the 1997-2003 data suggested that economic growth was now less reliant on energy production, the nation still depended on non-renewable fossil fuels for 70% percent of its energy supply.

"Households were a significant contributor to the sharp rises in both the demand for fossil fuels and carbon dioxide emissions."

Most of the energy consumed by households was in the form of petrol used in private motor vehicles: other sources have previously shown that a 100km car trip uses about the same energy as needed to run an average house for three days.

Including the transport component, households produce over three-quarters of New Zealand's carbon monoxide, and 60% of non-methane volatile organic compounds.

Among other large energy users, sectors producing base metals, and the transport and storage industries recorded drops in both energy and emission intensities, but the mining and fishing industries recorded increases in both energy consumption and emissions.

Oil and hydro electricity provide most of the nation's energy, with help from coal, gas, geothermal and thermally-generated electricity.

Sedimentary basins with petroleum potential straddle most of New Zealand's coastline, but only the Taranaki basin has so far produced commercial oil strikes, Coal deposits also exist throughout New Zealand, but most production is from Westland.

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