Energy use is integral to our lives. Without it, the standard of living Australians currently enjoy would be impossible. However this standard of living comes at a cost. Per capita levels of energy consumption in Australia are now some of the highest in the world and have also experienced the largest growth among comparable OECD countries over the last two decades. This presents a major challenge when trying to shift towards a more sustainable low carbon lifestyle.
This report explores aspects of household energy consumption in Australia and the influences that have caused household energy usage to rise. It considers how different academic disciplines explain household decision-making in relation to environmental issues, develops an integrated conceptual framework for understanding what drives household consumption, and includes a literature review to provide research evidence about the impact of policy interventions aiming to reduce energy consumption on households.
RP3001: The Australian Household: Material Consumption and the Low Carbon Society (642954 PDF)
Projects:
RP3001: Resource Consumption and Household Affordability - The Changing Nature of Utility Costs and the Distributional Implications Among Australian Households