Domestic Use of Water and Energy, WA

NAME OF ORGANISATION
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

OVERVIEW
The Domestic Use of Water and Energy Survey was conducted in Western Australia (WA) in October 2006 as a supplement to the Monthly Population Survey. It presents information on water and energy usage and appliances. Data items include the type and use of heaters and cooling units, use of bores and rainwater tanks, type of hot water system used, type of water using appliances (e.g. washing machine, dishwashers, toilets, showers, baths), details of garden watering systems, whether the household has a pool and/or spa and if so, whether it has a cover and/or is heated and whether the dwelling has an electrical safety switch.

PURPOSE
The Water Corporation requested a repeat of the 2003 Domestic Water Use state supplementary survey to:

• assess the number of households that have Waterwise products and if households have adopted Waterwise behaviour;
• assist in their review of the Waterwise rebate scheme in 2007; and
• forecast water demand based on more current data.

• assist in the development of initiatives in relation to demand management; and
• gain a picture of the energy efficiency features of WA dwellings e.g. type of dwelling construction, insulation and availability of fuels.

• understand the extent of household use of unflued gas heaters in response to recent health concerns raised over the use of these appliances; and
• assist in the development of regulatory and educational programs to increase the safety of Western Australians in their homes.

• assist in planning for pressure placed on electricity supplies by increased air conditioner usage and avert another crisis as experienced in WA in February of 2004 with a day of power blackouts.

• assess the impact of the department's current education programs (Waste Wise and Waterwatch); and
• assist policy decisions involved in promoting the sustainable use of water and energy.

• assist in assessing water and energy efficiency strategies for current WA housing constructions;
• monitor the preference of group housing and how it relates to water and energy efficiencies in dwellings; and
• assess the types of appliances currently in public housing, in particular gas versus electric.

• members of the Australian permanent defence forces;
• certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, customarily excluded from censuses and surveys;
• overseas residents in Australia;
• members on non-Australian defence forces (and their dependents) stationed in Australia; and
• persons living in sparsely settled areas of WA.

Conceptual framework
Not applicable

Main outputs
Dwelling Characteristics: Sources of energy or fuel in dwelling, Age of dwelling, Whether dwelling has roof/ceiling insulation.

Cooling and heating: Whether household has an air conditioner or evaporative air cooler, Number of air conditioners or evaporative air coolers used, Type of air conditioner/cooler used most often, Whether air conditioner/cooler used most often is fixed or portable, Number of months air conditioner/cooler used most often is used, Whether household has a heater/heating, Number of heaters used most often, Type of heater used most often, Whether gas heater (used most often) was portable unflued, Number of months heater used most often is used.

Water sources: Whether household was connected to mains water supply, Whether household had a rainwater tank, What the water from the rainwater tank was used for, Whether household uses bore water, Whether household shares a bore with other households or properties, How many households or properties share this bore.

Water heating: Energy source for hot water, Type of hot water system, Type of booster for solar hot water system.

Water using appliances and facilities: Whether household has a washing machine, Type of washing machine, Whether household has a dishwasher, Whether household connected to sewerage or septic tank, Number of toilets used (inside and outside), Type of toilets, Number of single flush toilets used (inside and outside), Number of dual flush toilets used (inside and outside), Number of showers used (inside and outside), Type of shower heads used, Number of normal flow shower heads that are used (inside and outside), Number of water efficient shower heads that are used (inside and outside), Number of baths used, Number of indoor spas used.

Garden water use: Whether household has any gardens or lawns, Whether mulch was used on the garden in the last 12 months, Whether household has reticulation, Whether reticulation was automated, Type of reticulation control, Use of reticulation, Use of different reticulation zones when watering, Methods of watering garden beds and/or lawns by reticulation, Methods of watering garden beds and/or lawns other than by reticulation, Whether reused water in garden.

Swimming pools and outdoor spas: Whether household has a swimming pool, Type of swimming pool, Whether swimming pool had a cover, Use of pool cover in the warmer months, Whether pool heated, Energy source used to heat pool.

Spas: Whether household had an outdoor spa, Whether outdoor spa had a cover, Whether outdoor spa heated, Energy source used to heat outdoor spa.

Electrical safety: Whether dwelling has electrical safety switches, Main reason electrical safety devices are not installed in dwelling.

Classifications
Relevant ABS, National and/or International classifications and standards will be used. Where these are not available, the survey will aim for consistency with other ABS surveys.

Other concepts (summary)
Not applicable

GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Western Australia
Labour Force Region
Capital City Statistical Division

Comments and/or Other Regions
Excludes persons living in sparsely settled strata

COLLECTION FREQUENCY
Once Only

Frequency comments


COLLECTION HISTORY
State supplementary survey topics vary each year. The 2006 survey is a partial repeat of the 2003 state supplementary survey on Domestic Water Use.

DATA AVAILABILITY
Yes

Data availability comments