Energy Use Data Handbook, 1990 and 1998 to 2004

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Chapter 2 – Residential Sector

The Data Situation

Aggregate data on residential energy use are reported in Statistics Canada's Report on Energy Supply-Demand in Canada (RESD) (Cat. No. 57-003-XIB). To provide more detail on how this energy is used, the Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) has developed the Residential End-Use Model (REUM). This stock accounting model assesses trends in energy use in the Canadian residential sector by allocating the energy use reported in RESD to end-uses using annual stock characteristics and sales data, coupled with usage profile and unit energy consumption for equipment stock. It is disaggregated at the provincial level and includes four building types (single attached, single detached, apartment and mobile home) and five end-uses (space heating, water heating, appliances, lighting and space cooling). Some end-uses are further disaggregated by equipment type or energy source.

The residential housing stock estimates are derived from Statistics Canada's Survey of Household Spending (SHS) since 1997 and Household Facilities and Equipment Survey (HFE) for the years prior to 1997. The two surveys collect similar information but use different methodologies. Furthermore, significant processing of the data was necessary to merge the information. By combining data from the HFE survey with data from the SHS, we estimate data on housing stock by province, building type and vintage. We obtain related floor space information by combining our housing stock estimates with data from two other Statistics Canada surveys: the Building Permits Survey and the OEE-sponsored Survey of Household Energy Use (SHEU). This year, data were released for the most recent SHEU, which covered the 2003 calendar year. SHEU data were also collected for the years 1993 and 1997. Floor space estimates between 1998 and 2003 were revised using new data from SHEU 2003.

Statistics Canada's SHS/HFE are the principal sources of information for stock data. Related data on usage profile and unit energy consumption are drawn from the internal expertise of OEE's staff, and data collected by various industry associations, as well as studies commissioned by the OEE. In particular, we use data from the Canadian Appliance Manufacturers Association, the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada, the Energy Technology Database developed by Marbek Resource Consultants Ltd. and analysis done by the now defunct Canadian Residential Energy End-Use Data Analysis Centre.

This year, research from the Canadian Building Energy End-Use Data Analysis Centre was integrated for the first time into REUM, which led us to revise assumptions for hot water requirements.

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, two reports from Environment Canada.

Natural Resources Canada has always been committed to improving energy end-use data quality and analysis. As such, surveys sponsored by the National Energy Use Database (NEUD) collect more detailed information on the characteristics of energy-using appliances and equipment, the state of dwellings and building stock, the profile of consumers (including consumption habits), data on annual energy consumption by households, new housing, and retrofit activities. For more information on surveys conducted by NEUD, visit its Web site at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/statistics/publications.

The residential prices of heating oil and natural gas are weighted averages of regional prices from Statistics Canada's Energy Statistics Handbook (Cat. No. 57601-XIE). 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.

View handbook tables.

• Residential Secondary Energy Use by Energy Source and End-Use
• Residential GHG Emissions by Energy Source and End-Use – Including and Excluding Electricity-Related Emissions
• Residential Housing Stock and Floor Space
• Residential Space Heating Energy Use by Energy Source, Building Type and Vintage
• Residential Space Heating System Stock Share
• Residential Lighting and Space Cooling Details
• Residential Appliance Details
• Residential Appliance Unit Energy Consumption (UEC)
• Residential Water Heating Energy Use and Water Heater Stock Share
• Residential Energy Prices and Background Indicators

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