2. Belgium
Country Pictures: Belgium
2. Belgium 2.1 Households There are no official household projections for Belgium, however those produced by Euromonitor (1996) appear to be an underestimate, compared to the most recent official data (Table 2.1). Table 2. 1: Household data (Belgium) Number of households Number of households in 2010 Average household size % 1-person households % owner-occupying households % in single houses
4,185,202 4,327,000 2.5 28% 66% 79%
Year 1998 2010 1996 1996 1994 1994
Source INS, 1999 Euromonitor, 1996 Eurostat, 1998 Eurostat, 1998 Eurostat, 1998 Eurostat, 1998
2.2 Natural gas Over half of all Belgian households are supplied with natural gas (Table 2.2) (Eurogas, 1998). The annual number of household connections to the gas network rose dramatically after 1990 (Figure 2.1). Table 2. 2: Natural gas (Belgium) Number of connected households Proportion of connected households Number of annual connections % Population living in gas supply area Number of domestic suppliers
2,303,000 55.0% 38,700 92% 22
Year 1998 1998 91-97 1997 1997
Source Eurogas, 1998 Eurogas, 1998 FIGAS, 1997 IGU, 1998 FIGAS, 1997
56%
55%
Households
54%
53%
52%
51%
50% 1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
Figure 2. 1: Expansion of low-pressure gas distribution network in Belgium Source: FIGAS, 1997
8
Country Pictures: Belgium
2.3 Domestic energy market Oil is the largest component of the residential fuel market, followed by natural gas (Table 2.3). The proportions of fuel use are similar to those given in Eurostat (1999), however the Eurostat total consumption for 1995 is around 20% lower than in Table 2.3, at 101 TWh. The difference between these two totals is not necessarily attributable to real changes in energy consumption over one year – although it may be due to the fact that 1996 was relatively cold. Table 2. 3: Fuel consumption profile for the Belgian domestic sector, 1996 Fuel type Oil Natural gas Electricity Coal Combustibles, renewables and waste District heating Total
TWh 51.9 42.6 23.3 4.2 2.1 0.2 124.3
% 42 34 19 3 2
2. Belgium 2.1 Households There are no official household projections for Belgium, however those produced by Euromonitor (1996) appear to be an underestimate, compared to the most recent official data (Table 2.1). Table 2. 1: Household data (Belgium) Number of households Number of households in 2010 Average household size % 1-person households % owner-occupying households % in single houses
4,185,202 4,327,000 2.5 28% 66% 79%
Year 1998 2010 1996 1996 1994 1994
Source INS, 1999 Euromonitor, 1996 Eurostat, 1998 Eurostat, 1998 Eurostat, 1998 Eurostat, 1998
2.2 Natural gas Over half of all Belgian households are supplied with natural gas (Table 2.2) (Eurogas, 1998). The annual number of household connections to the gas network rose dramatically after 1990 (Figure 2.1). Table 2. 2: Natural gas (Belgium) Number of connected households Proportion of connected households Number of annual connections % Population living in gas supply area Number of domestic suppliers
2,303,000 55.0% 38,700 92% 22
Year 1998 1998 91-97 1997 1997
Source Eurogas, 1998 Eurogas, 1998 FIGAS, 1997 IGU, 1998 FIGAS, 1997
56%
55%
Households
54%
53%
52%
51%
50% 1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
Figure 2. 1: Expansion of low-pressure gas distribution network in Belgium Source: FIGAS, 1997
8
Country Pictures: Belgium
2.3 Domestic energy market Oil is the largest component of the residential fuel market, followed by natural gas (Table 2.3). The proportions of fuel use are similar to those given in Eurostat (1999), however the Eurostat total consumption for 1995 is around 20% lower than in Table 2.3, at 101 TWh. The difference between these two totals is not necessarily attributable to real changes in energy consumption over one year – although it may be due to the fact that 1996 was relatively cold. Table 2. 3: Fuel consumption profile for the Belgian domestic sector, 1996 Fuel type Oil Natural gas Electricity Coal Combustibles, renewables and waste District heating Total
TWh 51.9 42.6 23.3 4.2 2.1 0.2 124.3
% 42 34 19 3 2
