Domestic energy consumption 'rises'

The UK's domestic energy consumption has risen significantly over the past four decades, figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.

Average energy consumption by households rose 18 per cent between 1970 and 2009, the ONS said, with more than half of the energy used for heating.

Total domestic consumption was 44 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2009, compared with 37 million tones in 1970.

Experts attribute the rising energy utility by households to changes in climatic conditions, surging number of households and a lack of effective energy efficiency plans.

At the same time, the past two decades saw a rise in the amount of energy generated from renewable sources in the UK - 5.6 per cent of the total consumption in 2008 against 1.7 per cent in 1990.

But the EU average of renewable energy generation stood at 16.7 per cent in 2008.