Energy Use Variation Among Tenants Occupying the Same Dwelling: A Study of 600+ Cases in Montreal and Quebec

Objective - This study investigates the variability in electricity consumption among tenants residing in the same dwelling in Montreal and Quebec City. The primary goals are to assess the extent to which occupant behavior and lifestyle influence electricity usage—particularly for heating—and to quantify the magnitude of variation in energy use between tenants.Methodology - The analysis proceeded in three phases: data extraction and preparation, data processing and calculation of key indicators, and results analysis. Four data sources were utilized:- A survey of residential electricity use- A registry of tenants with move-in and move-out dates- Monthly electricity consumption records- Historical weather dataKey indicators calculated for each dwelling-tenant pair included monthly baseload, weather-adjusted heating energy use, and weather-adjusted total energy use. Outlier data were removed, resulting in a final sample of 652 dwellings. For each dwelling, statistical measures—mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation—were computed to evaluate the degree of energy use variation among tenants.Results - The findings reveal substantial variability in energy consumption among tenants occupying the same dwelling. Average variations for total energy use, baseload, and heating were 22%, 33%, and 34%, respectively, with distributions that are both skewed and dispersed.