Household Energy Survey in Saudi Arabia

The Household Energy Survey in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an annual field survey conducted to collect accurate and comprehensive statistical data on energy sources, uses, and consumption patterns in the household sector across the Kingdom. It was launched by the General Authority for Statistics to meet the needs of policymakers, data users, and researchers. The first survey was conducted in 2017.

Data related to household energy usage is collected from a sample of households across the Kingdom’s thirteen administrative provinces. The survey aims to provide data on housing types, components, and conditioned and heated areas, as well as household fuel usage types. It also identifies energy consumption patterns and forms used in the residential sector, highlighting their impact on societal behavior.

The household energy survey aims to obtain realistic estimates of energy consumption across various types in the household sector. It provides data on fuel usage of all types in households and identifies energy consumption patterns and forms used in homes. The survey also examines the impact of economic, social, and geographic variables on energy consumption and assesses societal behavior regarding energy use by type and source. Additionally, the survey offers data to assess household energy efficiency and builds a statistical database containing energy consumption indicators in the residential sector throughout the Kingdom. It also aims to gauge households' willingness to adopt photovoltaic (solar) energy in their homes.

The household energy survey is part of a series of field surveys conducted by the General Authority for Statistics. It was first implemented in 2017, marking the Authority's inaugural survey in the residential sector for energy statistics.

The results of the first survey revealed that 99.93 percent of households use electricity in their homes, with 99.19 percent connected to the public electricity grid. Meanwhile, 0.61 percent rely on private grids, and 0.13 percent use private generators as their electricity source. Additionally, the survey showed that approximately 1.3 percent of households use solar energy in their homes, while 92.16 percent use gas as the primary fuel for cooking.

In 2018, the percentage of households connected to the public electricity grid rose to 99.85 percent. The percentage of households using solar energy in their homes increased to approximately 1.45 percent. However, the proportion of households using gas for cooking decreased to 90.72 percent, while those using electricity for cooking reached 8.74 percent. Additionally, the percentage of households using biomass products (such as firewood, charcoal, and agricultural waste) reached 8.22 percent.

In 2019, survey results showed that 99.50 percent of households were connected to the public electricity grid, while 1.60 percent used solar energy at home. The percentage of households using gas for cooking decreased to 89.34 percent, while electricity use for cooking rose to 10.18 percent. Additionally, the use of biomass products (firewood, charcoal, and agricultural waste) reached 8.64 percent, and the percentage of households with a separate electric meter for their homes was 85.29 percent.

In 2020, the survey revealed that 99.47 percent of households were connected to the public electricity grid, 0.43 percent to private electricity grids, and 0.10 percent used a private generator as their electricity source. Regarding solar energy, 1.81 percent of households utilized it in their homes. Additionally, gas was the primary fuel used for cooking in 85.31 percent of households.

In the 2021 survey, 99.33 percent of households were connected to the public electricity grid, while 0.55 percent relied on a private electricity grids, and 0.11 percent used a private generator as their electricity source. The percentage of households using solar energy increased to 2.02 percent. Regarding cooking fuel, the results indicated a decrease in gas usage compared to the previous year, with 81.93 percent of households using it as their primary cooking fuel.

According to the results of the 2022 survey, 98.4 percent of households were connected to the public electricity grid, while 1.1 percent relied on private electricity grids, and 0.1 percent used a private generator as their electricity source. The percentage of homes using solar energy was 0.4 percent. The survey revealed that independent electricity meters were the most common in the Kingdom, with 84.8 percent of homes using them. Additionally, gas dominated fuel consumption in the household sector, accounting for 98.3 percent. Gas accounted for the highest fuel consumption in the household sector, reaching 98.3 percent.