Abstract/Summary

The starting point of this work is that the time dependence of social practices at specific points of the day shapes the timing of energy demand. This work aims to assess how dependent energy-related social practices in the household are in relation to the time of the day. The analysis of the 2005 Office for National Statistics National Time Use Survey makes use of statistically-derived time dependence calculations for six social practice: preparing food, washing, cleaning, washing clothes, watching TV and using a computer. The focus is on social practices over temporal scales of different days of the week and months of the year, with particular emphasis on February and June. Findings will have implications on the way flexibility is conceptualised and the effectiveness of intervention aimed at practices rather than individuals (e.g. through price and technology).