ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a brief discussion of quantity and quality of electric demand. It discusses demand and use of electric power, largely from the consumer’s perspective, examining the way quantity and quality vary as a function of usage, and how they both contribute to the value of the electric service. The chapter looks at how demand varies as a function of consumer type and end-use, and how power demand is represented in electric system studies using load curves and load duration curves. Different types of consumers purchase electricity. About half of all electric power is used in residences, which vary in the brands and types of appliances they own, and their daily activity patterns. The amounts of power used, and the dependability of its availability for use as the consumer wants, are both important attributes in determining the value of the electric power to that consumer.
