4602.0.55.001 - Environmental Issues: Energy Use and Conservation, Mar 2011 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/10/2011   
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HEATERS AND COOLERS


Over a third of Australian households used electricity as the main source of energy for heating (37%) while just under a third used gas (32%). Victoria had the highest proportion of households (68%) that used gas as the main source of energy for heating followed by the Australian Capital Territory (59%). Electricity was most commonly used in Tasmania (66%). One in ten households nationally used wood as the main source of energy for heating (10%). Wood was more commonly used by households outside capital cities (19%) compared with capital cities (5%). An estimated 42% of households reported 'comfort/convenience' when citing the main reason for choice of heater across all types of heaters. (Tables 12, 13 and 14)

The proportion of households with a cooler in use (either a refrigerated air conditioner or an evaporative cooler) increased from 59% in 2005 to 73% in 2011. Excluding the Northern Territory, all states and territories showed a statistically significant increase over the same period in the proportion of households with a cooler in use. (Table 15)