Danish homes using less electricity

56,000 detached homes worth of electricity saved
A ca 2% reduction in electricity consumption in 2008 compared with 2007 is equivalent to the amount of power used by 56,000 detached houses in 1 year. This means that consumers have saved around EUR 57 million.

The survey was made by the electricity consumption panel under the auspices of Energinet.dk and the Danish Energy Association. The figures were calculated on the basis of the electricity used in a group of selected homes in Denmark. The final electricity consumption figures will be released in May 2009.

The Trust praises its partners
The Trust is pleased with the reduction.

‘We believe that the Trust’s many partner producers and stores have made a considerable contribution to this positive trend,’ says the Trust’s Christian Lüders, Communications Manager at the Trust, who continues:

‘For example, sales of energy efficient circulator pumps (A-pumps) more than doubled in a campaign carried out by producers and plumbing and heating installers with help from the Trust. Around 70% of customers in Denmark now choose A-pumps, whereas the equivalent uptake in other countries is typically under 10%.’

Other good results include A-rated energy saving bulbs: Around 30 stores and chains across Denmark have signed agreements with the Trust to sell recommended A-rated bulbs. Some, including the Danish grocery chain Irma, have signed a special agreement to become a Recommended Retailer. This involved Irma’s head office agreeing that all A-rated bulbs sold in their stores would be recommended by the Trust.

Sales of A-rated bulbs have risen rapidly. Almost 4.5 million A-rated bulbs were sold in 2007, which is 2 million more than in 2004. Recommended A-rated bulbs displaying the Energy Saving Label account for 55% of the total. An A-rated bulb lasts up to 15 times longer than an incandescent bulb, and is 4 times more efficient per watt.

These are good examples of how the Trust works with the supply side to transform the market so that consumers can choose between many efficient products on the market.

Christian Lüders is also pleased  that consumers are taking an interest in electricity consumption and the environment: ‘For example Danes really took to our “Langt ud i skoven” (Far out in the forest) campaign, which won a Zulu Award in March for the year’s best advertising film. This confirmed that this type of unpretentious behavioural campaign can communicate the message about electricity savings and the environment across a broad front.’

Expected reduction in public sector in 2009
The Trust also expects electricity consumption by the public sector to fall in 2009. The reason being that all public sector institutions with a Curve Breaker Agreement in 2008 have reduced their electricity consumption by 2.2%, while the rest of the public sector’s consumption rose by 0.3%.

A Curve Breaker Agreement commits an institution to reducing its electricity consumption over 1 or more years.