Energy Demand for Heating in Spain: An Empirical Analysis with Policy Purposes

Household energy consumption, mostly due to residential heating, is a large component of energy demand in developed countries and thus a target for public policies aimed at reducing negative environmental effects and energy dependence. This paper uses detailed Spanish household micro data to model the related decisions on the type of heating energy source and on the amount of energy used for heating. This way, the article provides accurate estimates that may be used to assess the short and long term effects of public policies in this field. In particular, the relative prices of the three main energy sources for heating influence the discrete decision on the type of energy source in a sort of medium/long term effect. Moreover, the short-term demand reactions to energy price changes are found to be limited but variable across the different energy sources for heating in Spain.