Chapter 2 - Residential Sector
The Data Situation
Aggregate data on residential energy use are reported by Statistics Canada in its Report on Energy Supply and Demand in Canada (RESD) (Cat. No. 57-003-X). The RESD presents energy balance sheets by compiling data on the production, trade, stocks and consumption for the various forms of energy, based on data from Statistics Canada surveys and administrative sources.
Data on household characteristics are derived from the Survey of Household Spending, the National Household Survey 2011 and Census data (particularly for 2011 and 2016). Certain datasets can be found in the following Statistics Canada catalogues or tables:
- Table 11-100228-01: Dwelling characteristics and household equipment
- Cat. No. 98-400-X2016221: Dwelling condition, tenure, period of construction, structural type of dwelling
- Cat. No. 98-400-X2016227: Age of primary household maintainer, tenure, structural type of dwelling, and household type including census family structure for private households of Canada
- Table 25-10-0061-01: Household energy consumption by type of dwelling
- Table 34-10-0126-01: CMHC housing starts, under construction, and completions
- Publication 64-001-XWF: Units demolished by type of dwellings
Data on household characteristics for the territories are estimated based mainly on Census data, as the Survey of Household Spending does not cover the territories. Data on floor space are estimated based on housing stock numbers and data from Statistics Canada’s Building Permits Survey and the Survey of Household Energy Use.
Detailed energy consumption information was sourced from various industry associations and external studies, such as the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers Canada, the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada, the Energy Technology Database developed by Marbek Resource Consultants Ltd., and the internal expertise of OEE staff.
The REUM also takes into account the influence of weather on residential energy demand. It uses the number of heating degree-days in Monthly Values of Degree-Days Below 18.0°C and the number of cooling degree-days in Monthly Values of Degree-Days Above 18.0°C (both reports from Environment and Climate Change Canada).
The residential prices of heating oil and natural gas are weighted averages of regional prices from Statistics Canada’s Table 18-10-0001-01 for heating oil price and Tables 25-10-0033-01 and 25-10-0059-01 for natural gas price. The residential price of electricity is a weighted average of the data found in Hydro-Québec’s Comparison of Electricity Prices in Major North American Cities.