ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the data and methods used in time use studies in context of peak residential electricity demand. It explores electricity consumption in terms of when and where electricity demand occurs and the social patterns and organisation that this consumption supports. The chapter analyses the role people's activities play and some of the key metrics to capture the relationship between activities and electricity demand. Peak demand is the result of the simultaneity of the activities by the overall residential population, but some people have higher constraints than others. In theoretical terms, social practice approaches can facilitate the reading of what is routine and where flexibility is in energy demand-related activities in the household. The chapter reviews existing residential electricity demand modelling work that makes use of time use data. It compares time use activities, and specifically active occupancy, across different European countries and analyses the relationship between time use data and residential electricity demand in Spain and the UK.
