JAUE2022-070: Capturing Changes in Residential Energy Consumption due to Working from Home in Japan Questionnaire Survey of Winter Households

Abstract

Since there is a possibility that work from home will become one of the major working styles in the era of a new normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to examine an effect of work from home on the energy consumption of homes in order to realize a carbon-neutral society. Therefore, a web-based questionnaire survey was conducted for households in which any of the family members was a work from home worker. The large-scale questionnaire survey on Japanese housing during the COVID-19 pandemic in this study elucidated that work from home as a countermeasure against COVID-19 infection affected the residents’ lives and the energy consumption of each household. This paper also showed the causes of the increase in household energy consumption and the importance of feedback, such as HEMS, in promoting energy-saving behavior. These results are expected to help to save energy of residents in the era of a new normal.