The figures for 2021 may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
F and G rated dwellings used 120 kilowatt hours of gas per square metre in 2021 which was 38% higher than the 87 kWh used by A and B rated dwellings (see Table A and Table 5B).
The mean gas consumption in 2021 for all dwelling types built in 2005-2021 was 93 kWh per square metre which was 83% of the mean for dwellings built in 1900-1966 of 112 kWh per square metre (see Table 5C).
Mean gas consumption decreased in 2021 compared with 2020 for all dwelling types varying from a 1.5% decrease for detached houses to a 2.7% decrease for semi-detached houses (see Table 2A).
A detached house used 15,906 kWh of natural gas in 2021 which was 84% higher than the corresponding mean gas consumption for an apartment (see Table 2A).
More energy-efficient dwellings had more floor area. A and B rated detached houses had an average of 194 square metres compared with an average of 125 square metres for detached houses with an F or G rating (see Table 4A).
| Mean Gas Consumption | |
| A/B | 11.356 |
| C | 10.958 |
| D | 11.258 |
| E | 11.524 |
| F/G | 10.812 |
| Apartment | 8.664 |
| House (mid-terrace) | 8.916 |
| House (end-of-terrace) | 9.974 |
| House (semi-detached) | 11.481 |
| House (detached) | 15.906 |
| A/B | F/G | |
| Apartments | 92 | 75 |
| Detached Houses | 194 | 125 |
| Table A Mean Gas Consumption per square metre by Year and Energy Rating 2021 | |||||
| Mean kilowatt hours per square metre | |||||
| Year | A/B | C | D | E | F/G |
| 2015 | 86 | 99 | 110 | 120 | 120 |
| 2016 | 85 | 97 | 108 | 118 | 118 |
| 2017 | 83 | 95 | 106 | 115 | 116 |
| 2018 | 93 | 106 | 118 | 126 | 127 |
| 2019 | 85 | 98 | 109 | 117 | 118 |
| 2020 | 89 | 102 | 114 | 121 | 122 |
| 2021 | 87 | 100 | 112 | 118 | 120 |
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Statistician's Comment
Commenting on the release Dympna Corry, Statistician in the Environment and Climate Division, said: "This analysis examined households that had a Building Energy Rating (BER) and used networked gas as their main space heating fuel. The results showed that households with better energy ratings consumed less gas per square metre, but they were larger in terms of floor area.
Dwellings with better energy ratings used less gas per square metre of dwelling floor area. Average gas consumption per square metre in 2021 varied from: 87 kWh for A and B rated dwellings; 100 kWh for C rated dwellings; 112 kWh for D rated dwellings; 118 kWh for E rated dwellings; and 120 kWh per square metre for F or G rated dwellings (see Table 5B).
The mean gas consumption per square metre in 2021 was lower for more recently-built dwellings. Households constructed in 2005-2021 used 93 kWh per square metre compared with 112 kWh per square metre for dwellings built in 1900-1966 (see Table 5C).
The mean gas consumption was lower in 2021 than in 2020 for all household types - this may have been influenced by fewer people working from home in 2021. The decrease in average consumption varied from 1.5% for detached houses to 2.7% for semi-detached houses. However, the 2021 figures were all higher than the average for each dwelling type in 2019 (see Table 2A).
Average gas consumption per dwelling varied considerably more by household type than by energy efficiency rating. The mean gas consumption by detached houses was 15,906 kWh in 2021. This was 84% higher than the mean gas consumption by apartments of 8,664 kWh (see Table 2A).
Lower gas consumption due to improved energy ratings was partially offset by a larger floor area for dwellings with A and B ratings. Detached houses with an A or B rating had an average floor area of 194 square metres compared with 125 square metres for detached houses with an F or G rating. This trend of larger floor areas for more energy-efficient dwellings was evident for all household types (see Table 4A).
Looking at the data, A and B rated dwellings consumed more gas than F and G rated dwellings. In 2021, A and B rated dwellings used a mean gas consumption of 11,356 kWh compared with 10,958 kWh for C rated dwellings, 11,258 kWh for D rated dwellings, 11,524 kWh for E rated dwellings, and 10,812 kWh for F and G rated dwellings (see Table 2B).
F and G energy-rated dwellings had the lowest mean gas consumption figure in 2021 indicating that factors other than energy ratings - such as disposable income, whether the house was adequately heated, and use of secondary heating fuels - may have had an impact."