Abstract

Purpose: This study investigates how population aging and household structure influence residential energy consumption patterns. The goal is to identify energy consumption behaviors that are specific to different age groups and energy sources, moving beyond traditional household-level analyses. Research design, data and methodology: Using the National Transfer Accounts (NTA) framework, we transform household-level energy consumption data from the Household Energy Panel Survey into individual-level estimates. We apply age-weighted allocation and smoothing techniques to create age profiles for electricity, city gas, district heating, and petroleum-based fuels. This enables meaningful comparisons across various life stages and household types. Results: Electricity consumption increases with age and remains high in later life, reflecting persistent needs for comfort and safety. District heating shows no clear age-related trend. In contrast, city gas consumption follows an inverted U-shaped pattern. Petroleum-based fuels remain essential for elderly and single-person households, particularly in detached homes. Single-person households exhibit the highest per capita energy use across all ages, indicating limited economies of scale. Conclusions: Population aging constitutes a structural driver of residential energy demand. Energy policies and forecasting models should incorporate age and household composition to improve precision. The age-specific profiles developed here provide empirical foundations for targeted energy welfare, efficiency enhancement, and sustainable policy design in aging societies.