The Determinants of Residential Gas Demand in Ireland

This paper examines the determinants of residential gas demand in Ireland using a micro econometric analysis of the daily gas consumption panel data from Ireland's Smart Metering Gas Consumer Behavioural Trial. It also investigates the e ectiveness of the demand side management stimuli that were tested during the Smart Metering Trial. The analysis is based on a sample of 1,181 households over 539 days. The results provide evidence that weather, together with the structural characteristics of the dwellings and the socio-economic characteristics of the households, are signicant factors in explaining residential gas demand. More specically, weather is found to be the most in uential factor on household's daily gas consumption. Finally, the demand side management stimuli employed in the Smart Metering Trial were found to reduce daily household gas use on average.