Energy Types Used in Private Dwellings

Requirements

The questionnaire module(s) is required to:

• elicit responses on the energy type(s) in their initial state that are supplied or accessed, for example, if a petrol generator is used to produce electricity, the initial energy type is 'petrol'
• elicit responses based on the fuel type(s) used within a private occupied dwelling
• be suitable for a self-completion, telephone or personal interview survey (the responding unit could be the occupier, reference person or an interviewer)
• state in the guide notes and/or instructions that the sun coming through the window to heat the house, which does not have any equipment or specially designed walls and/or flooring for storing and distributing the heat, does not qualify as ‘solar heating’
• state in the guide notes and or instructions that ‘water heating’ refers to the energy type used to heat the hot water cylinder in order to provide hot water to a sink, shower or bath.

The questionnaire module(s) may:

• elicit responses on the possession of items or appliances that are used for heating, and/or cooking and/or water heating, which allows energy type(s) to be derived
• elicit responses based on the energy type(s) used to heat the dwelling, and/or to cook in the dwelling, and/or to heat water in the dwelling.

Minimum and maximum sets

There is a range of possible questions that may be asked to obtain the output variables. The maximum set requires questions to be asked on the energy types used in a private dwelling for cooking, space heating and water heating or the possession of items or appliances that are used in a private dwelling for space heating, cooking and water heating. The minimum set requires that only one question is asked on the types(s) of energies used in a private dwelling or the possession of items or appliances used for cooking or space heating or water heating.

Example

Question modules for this standard are yet to be designed and cognitively tested by population census. When new modules are designed they will be inserted into the standard.

The questionnaire modules below are examples from the 1998 standard for Fuel Types Used in Dwellings that meet the requirements documented in this statistical standard. Other questionnaire modules may vary in format but should conform to the requirements contained in this statistical standard. Classifications and standards policy allows for flexibility in conforming to all the questionnaire requirements in any particular statistical standard, and the following are examples to be used as guides.

What energy types are ever used to heat this dwelling?

What energy types are ever used for cooking inside this dwelling?

What energy types are ever used for water heating in this dwelling?