Average electricity consumption of Germans
Since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in February last year, the discussion about access to a secure electricity supply has not ceased. In this country, it is above all the issue of increased electricity prices that has kept the population on tenterhooks for a long time.
Although the situation has eased to some extent in the meantime, not least due to the electricity price brake adopted by the federal government, the shock is still deep in the bones of most people.
In the following sections, readers can get an overview of the average electricity consumption of households of different sizes in Germany. With this data in mind, it should be easier for everyone to deduce potential savings for their own households.
Electricity consumption in Germany's households declining
According to the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), total German electricity consumption in 2022 was about 519 billion kWh; this figure is about two percent lower than the previous year. Private households account for about a quarter of this.
In the years between 2010 and 2020, the consumption figures of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) related to private households show a declining trend. Thus, 7.5 percent of electricity could be saved during this period.
Consumption comparison with stromspiegel.de
As an independent consulting agency, co2online publishes the so-called Stromspiegel once a year together with the German Energy and Water Association and the German Tenants' Association. It is based on more than 360,000 data on private consumption, which are then summarised. Thanks to the Stromspiegel, consumers can compare their consumption and identify potential savings.
Average annual consumption for one- and two-person households depends on type of housing
According to current calculations by Stromspiegel, one person consumes an average of 2050 kWh of electricity per year. At a price of 40 cents per kWh, this adds up to about 820 euros in costs. The living conditions play an important role: If the person lives alone in a flat, the average consumption drops to 1400 kWh, the electricity costs to 560 euros per year, not taking into account possible electricity costs for hot water.
Conversely, if a single person lives in a detached house, average consumption and costs rise to 2400 kWh and 960 euros per year respectively. Two-person households in an apartment building have an average consumption of 2000 kWh, according to the Stromspiegel. If the two people live in a single-family house, the annual average consumption increases by 50 percent to 3000 kWh. The figures also do not take into account the possible use of electricity to generate hot water. At an electricity price of 40 cents per kWh, this amounts to 800 and 1200 euros per year, respectively.
The comparatively large deviations between the consumption of single persons and the per capita consumption of persons living together are due to a certain basic equipment, i.e. electrical appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators and televisions, the operation of which requires a basic consumption and which are present in almost every household, regardless of the number of persons. Therefore, the per capita consumption of singles is on average higher than that of persons in larger households.
Consumption by household sector
How electricity consumption breaks down by individual areas can be analysed with the help of data from the BDEW. According to this, total consumption is distributed among the household sectors as follows: At 28 percent, the lion's share is accounted for by consumer electronics, followed by an area designated as "other" with 17 percent. Washing and drying account for 14 percent, lighting for 13 percent and refrigerators and freezers for 11 percent. Bringing up the rear are cooking and dishwashing with 9 and 8 per cent respectively.
Multi-person households - electricity consumption and electricity costs
As with one- and two-person households, the differences in multi-person households are not only due to the number of people living in a household, but also to the respective living conditions.
For a three-person household, the average consumption is between 2600 kWh and 4500 kWh, with the first value applying to people living in a flat and the last to three people living in a detached house. The corresponding values for a family of four are between 2900 and 5100 kWh, and for five people in a household it is 3000 kWh to 6300 kWh.
The average electricity costs - for those living in a flat or a single-family house - amount to 800 or 1200 euros for two persons, 1040 or 1440 euros for three persons. For four persons, 1160 and 1600 euros respectively, and for five persons, 1200 and 2000 euros respectively.
Source: wiwo.de, Saskia Patermann, 23.06.2023
Image: Battery-Kutter
