Domestic energy use is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. In South Yorkshire, domestic energy use represents between 29% (Doncaster) and 39% (Sheffield) of total energy use in South Yorkshire. Reductions in domestic energy use could and should contribute towards meeting regional and national net-zero targets.
SYSC’s Consuming Sustainably project looked to explore people's attitudes and behaviours towards energy consumption. It aimed to provide policy insights into the drivers of energy use, and recommendations on how we could incentivise consumers to reduce their absolute energy consumption.
Key Insights:
In 2024, SYSC published “Consumption Habits”, a report into household energy use in South Yorkshire. The report highlighted the link between high income and high energy consumption based on a survey which involved over 620 respondents. It provided valuable insights into the attitudes, behaviours, and challenges faced by South Yorkshire households in relation to energy use.
The research in this report and the survey behind it has been an invaluable source of information for a number of projects and case studies that have been worked on by academics at SYSC. As part of the SYSC Consolidated Report, the “Domestic Energy Use: Drivers of Energy Decadence” case study has built on that further.
In South Yorkshire, domestic energy consumption is primarily driven by income levels rather than environmental attitudes. While higher earners utilise the most energy regardless of property size, lower-income households remain the most vulnerable to price fluctuations and financial stress. Interestingly, high energy users express significant concern for climate change but often struggle to reduce their footprint due to the "invisibility" of their consumption and a general lack of control over household systems. This gap between intent and action is further complicated by a tendency for high consumers to underestimate their actual usage.
Efforts to improve energy efficiency are heavily influenced by social trust and existing infrastructure. While basic measures like insulation and double glazing are widespread, there is notable resistance toward newer technologies like solar panels and heat pumps. When seeking advice on how to save energy, residents prioritise social networks, ranking friends and family as their most trusted sources, followed by energy suppliers. Conversely, government entities at all levels are viewed with the least confidence, suggesting that future energy-saving initiatives may be more effective if delivered through community-led or peer-to-peer channels.
