World Energy Outlook 2007

Appliances Stock and Efficiency
Four major appliances 16 – air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and
televisions – use about 21% of residential energy (Zhou et al., 2007). Rapid
income growth and declining appliance prices have caused ownership of the
major appliances to soar in recent years, especially in urban China. For
example, hardly anyone owned an air conditioner in the early 1990s, while
today on average about 80% of urban household do – a doubling of ownership
every three years. The ownership growth rates of some appliances have begun
to slow as they reach saturation levels. By 2005, most urban households already
had one or more colour televisions. Urban ownership of washing machines and
refrigerators is also approaching saturation. On the other hand, rural ownership
of appliances is still less than half that of urban areas, except for televisions. 17
Appliance ownership is expected to continue to increase steadily, though
growth rates are likely to slow. It is expected to reach saturation in urban areas
by around 2020 or earlier, and by about 2030 in rural areas. For example,
ownership per 100 households 18 in 2030 is projected to reach 100 for washing
machines and 83 for refrigerators (Figure 9.10).
160
Figure 9.10: Major Appliance Ownership in China, 1985-2030
units owned per 100 households
120
80
40
0
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
Colour television Washing machine Refrigerator Air conditioner
16. As income rises, many households start to own electronic equipment such as home theatre
systems which consume more energy than a household refrigerator. This contributes to the rise of
appliance electricity consumption.
17. In 2005, 84% of rural Chinese households owned a colour television (NBS), while overall
ownership exceeded 100%.
18. This indicator allows for the possibility of more than one unit of appliance owned per household,
so it can exceed 100.
308 World Energy Outlook 2007 - CHINA’S ENERGY PROSPECTS