| Household energy performance, average energy unit prices, annual energy expenses and air pollution experienced by or for households in SW Ohio, Northern Kentucky and SE Indiana are widely variable, according to a survey of household energy bills by TriState energy consultant and efficient home designer, John F. Robbins CEM. Local 2003 home energy bills ranged from $593 to $3160, averaging $1451. Two very low energy-cost households had 2003 bills totaling only 30 cents per-sf of conditioned floor area for one and only $172 per per-person for the other. Averages for these categories were 75 cents and $557 respectively. One household achieved combined low-cost performance of 34 cents per-sf AND $207 per-person, even though this household resided in an all-electric home and paid 48% more per unit of energy than this survey’s average. The two highest energy-cost households in the survey paid $3.30 per-sf and $1378 per-person respectively. After converting energy consumption to associated CO2 emissions and weighing emissions per person, some households were seen responsible for 13 times more energy-related CO2 global warming emissions than others. These are only a few of the findings from Robbins’ recent survey. |
| Robbins’ 3rd annual survey of home energy consumption included 27 voluntarily participating households in SW Ohio, SE Indiana and Northern Kentucky. Participants were not selected scientifically. Each participant reported all energy and fuel purchased or acquired for free by their household during 2003. Robbins did not attempt to verify data. Solar energy was not assessed, even if the household reported solar features. Eight of the participating households resided in homes designed or substantially influenced by Robbins, thereby raising the probability that observed averages may lean toward more efficiency instead of true community averages. |
| Average size of homes surveyed in 2003 increased about 5% from Robbins’ 2002 survey, from 2225 sf to 2335 sf. Average occupancy remained about the same, with 3 average persons per residence, who in some combination reported being at home around two-thirds of the time. The percentage of participating households using natural gas increased from 41% to 59%. The 2003 respondents did not include the only 2002 survey household which was not serviced by any energy utilities. |
| Robbins regularly surveys household energy use to compare the relative performance of his own clients with regional averages and ranges. Robbins specializes in designing and consulting on passive solar, superinsulated homes also outfitted with more efficient appliances, fluorescent lamps and more efficient HVAC systems. The 8 surveyed households living in a Robbins design or influenced by Robbins’ energy consulting contained most of these features. Seven achieved at least one SUPER rating in one of the 2 energy-use categories, with occupant density ranging from 600 to 2500 sf per-person and with annual energy cost per-sf ranging from 30 cents to 52 cents. The household with 52 cents per-sf energy costs, which did not achieve a SUPER rating in either category, lived in a Robbins-designed passive solar superinsulated home, with occupant density at 1375 sf per-person. |
| Of the remaining 5 of the 12 households achieving a SUPER rating for low energy usage per-sf or per-person, none reported passive solar, two reported superinsulation, three reported fluorescent lamps and four reported more efficient HVAC systems as their energy features. Occupant density ranged from 438 to 1311 sf per-person, and energy costs ranged from 40 cents to 47 cents per-sf. All 4 households achieving a SUPER rating for lowest energy use per-person had 1000 sf or less conditioned house area per-person, achieving energy costs of $173 to $398 per-person. Only one of these lived in a house designed by Robbins, 600 sf per-person, with superinsulation, passive solar, efficient appliances & HVAC, fluorescent lamps and solar water heating as energy features. Just one household achieved a SUPER rating for low energy use BOTH per-sf AND per-person. This household, not influenced by Robbins, reported fluorescent lamps as its only energy feature, had occupant density of 1000 sf per-person and energy cost of 40 cents per-sf. |
| Only 3 participating households reported no efficiency features. Two received INEFFICIENT ratings in one of the 2 energy-use categories. The other, with 459 sf/person occupant density, rated EFFICIENT in both categories. The only energy efficiency feature reported by this EFFICIENT-rated high occupant-density household in its unimproved older home was fluorescent lamps. Another thermally inefficient older home with high occupancy (438 sf per person), but with fluorescent lamps and high efficiency HVAC, achieved lowest per-person energy costs and CO2 emissions. This suggests that households in thermally inefficient homes can become competitively efficient and less polluting by increasing occupant density AND implementing equipment efficiency upgrades. |
| The household acquiring the least energy value for its energy dollars in 2003 (41 BTUs) fortunately achieved the lowest energy usage per-sf (16 kBTU). This household lived in a Robbins-designed superinsulated all-electric house, with an efficient HVAC system, efficient appliances and fluorescent lamps, but no solar. The average energy value purchased per dollar among all households was 71 BTUs. The highest average energy value purchased per dollar was 114 BTUs, in a household which not only got free firewood but also bought natural gas at the lowest 2003 average unit price of any surveyed household, 81 cents per ccf. Generally, households buying the least energy value per dollar tended to be in all-electric homes, while those getting the most energy value per dollar tended to heat with natural gas and/or free firewood. The household which used the least electricity paid 50% higher average unit prices (9.3 cents per kWh) than the household which used the most electricity (6.2 cents per kWh). |
| Global warming-related CO2 emissions were found to be greatest when electricity use was highest, due to the high CO2 content of local kWhs generated mostly by burning coal. However, only one of the 3 households with highest CO2 emissions resided in an all-electric home. The other two, both in older homes in older Cincinnati suburbs, used lower-CO2 natural gas but also had relatively high electricity use. The household with lowest overall energy usage per-person scored the lowest CO2 emissions per-sf and per-person. The household with the lowest overall energy cost had the least CO2 emissions, although not least per-sf or per-person. The household with highest overall annual energy cost and highest per-sf energy use scored the highest CO2 emissions per-sf. The household with highest overall energy cost and usage per- person scored the highest CO2 emissions per person. |
| For more information or a presentation on this survey, contact Robbins. |
| E-mail: johnfrobbins@insightbb.com |