Has electric demand gone up or down over the years?

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I read a thread where in the reply it was stated that the electric demand is now higher than it was.

I started to consider this.
* My lighting now clearly uses less with CFL and LED.
* My TV and most my AV equipment uses less with LED screen rather than cathode ray.
* My Fridge and Freezer are more economical and also use less.
* My Washing Machine also is claimed to use less energy.

The list could go on. There are a few items which we did not have within the first few years of moving into this house in 1980 but I would have thought my power requirements have gone down.

If I look at just post war the whole idea of the 13A socket was for electric heating the ideas just didn't work and the brick storage radiators would not be considered today we would want something far more controllable.

Clearly as a nation we are now using more power but we also have far more houses so it's hard to say if a house built even back in 1954 today uses more or less power.

My parents had solid fuel cooking to start with so when the old Eagle grate was replaced with an electric cooker the power used would have gone up. But since then far more efficient cookers have come out so it would have gone down again.

When my house was built the bath water was electricity heated today it's heated with gas and we rarely have a bath in the main we have a shower.

So clearly there will have been some peaks and troughs to any graph draw for electric power used in a house say 1954 to present day but I suspect there is on average no more electric power used today than back in 1954 when the first new houses since the war were being built.

Clearly pre war houses had gas lighting and only two power sockets so until rewired they would clearly have a lower electric usage and the war stopped houses being built or modified but I would suspect any house built 1954 or latter or re-wired 1954 or latter likely uses less electric power today than when re-wired or built.

So why do I see so often the claim we now use more power?

There are a few heavy uses of electric power which were not around in 1960. The electric shower although actually uses less power than filling a bath. The tumble drier therefore would seem the only real heavy use of electric power not used in 1960.

Am I over looking something?
 
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domestic changes since the 70s
far more tellies from 0-2 now one per games consol perhaps 3-4
0 computers / laptops now-perhaps 3-5 now
0-1 games console-3-5 now
electronic gadgets in general 0-1 now perhaps 2-10

comfort in general higher numbers off mood lighting
use off air conditioning rather than open a window
cinema and games rooms
more fridges and freezers and coolers connected with home bars and personal mini fridges in rooms

more power tools and gadgets like stair lift travolators lifts mobility scooters electric cars golf trollies

transport
far more electric trams and trains over fossil fuels and consuming more power per unit for air conditioning faster excelleration
and perhaps a 10-20% increase in houses and population
 
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I dont know the figures but of course the population has increased quite a bit from the 70s and 80s. SO even if we are using less per person I would imagine the strain on the generating system is increasing (hence the prediction of blackouts this winter by the Daily Fail!)
 
The price has never fallen so my guess would be demand has not either. Probably a simplistic view, but it seems to govern many other aspects of the cost of living.
 
The price has never fallen so my guess would be demand has not either. Probably a simplistic view, but it seems to govern many other aspects of the cost of living.
If the price falls won't demand rise?
 
hot-tub_2544167b.jpg
More entertaining hot tub photos are available. I imagine.


most are electrically heated 24/7 so that they are ready whenever they are wanted, that would consume a fair bit I imagine.
dutchtub13.jpg




PS - health warning.
 
domestic changes since the 70s
far more tellies from 0-2 now one per games consol perhaps 3-4
Also I don't believe they do actually use less.

They are much larger, and particularly plasma screens are heavier loads when running, and they tend to be left in standby rather than being switched off completely.
 
Back on topic, looking at my electricity consumption since I bought my first house in 1976 it has risen by a large amount.
In 1976 I didn't have a freezer, washing machine, microwave or any boxes under the TV. The TV had an on off switch rather than a standby button. I didn't possess a computer like I am now typing on either. My cooker and oven was gas rather than the electric oven and induction hob I use now.
My gas consumption has increased as well as getting more mature (alright older) the thermostat has crept up. And now being retired the gas CH tends to be on most of the day whereas before it was off between 08:30 and 17:00. Though I have not been tempted to leave it on all night yet that I know some people do.
 

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