Analysing Gordon’s trade-off by adapting Thurow’s approach of pure public good to the German energy sector

Table 6 Energy consumption—car, residential, and total

Energy consumption of private households in Germany 2008 according to their social position
Income groups in €	Single	Single with child(ren)	Couple	Couple without child(ren)	Couple with child(ren)	Other households
Car energy expenditure in €
All households	50	67	124	111	150	160
<900	15	17	78	63	71	29
900–1300	32	33	44	42	67	38
1300–1500	47	51	63	63	58	39
1500–2000	61	70	75	73	80	72
2000–2600	75	89	97	90	120	99
2600–3600	86	101	126	115	148	140
3600–5000	93	108	151	141	163	179
5000–18,000	97	130	169	161	177	225
Car energy dispersion^a	1.94	1.94	1.36	1.45	1.18	1.41
Residential energy expenditure in €
All households	93	119	165	163	169	201
<900	69	86	161	140	170	151
900–1300	81	100	111	112	104	104
1300–1500	89	103	109	107	116	118
1500–2000	96	112	130	132	126	140
2000–2600	106	123	148	150	141	154
2600–3600	127	165	161	164	155	180
3600–5000	133	198	184	188	180	219
5000–18,000	153	158	201	203	198	252
Residential energy dispersion^b	1.65	1.33	1.22	1.25	1.17	1.25
Total energy expenditure in €
All households	143	186	289	274	319	361
<900	84	103	239	203	241	180
900–1300	113	133	155	154	171	142
1300–1500	136	154	172	170	174	157
1500–2000	157	182	205	205	206	212
2000–2600	181	212	245	240	261	253
2600–3600	213	266	287	279	303	320
3600–5000	226	306	335	329	343	398
5000–18,000	250	288	370	364	375	477
Total energy dispersion^c	1.75	1.55	1.28	1.33	1.18	1.32

Source: German Federal Statistical Office, 2010, ^aresidential energy dispersion: ratio of the residential energy expenditures of the highest income group to the residential energy expenditure of the average household of the social group
Source: German Federal Statistical Office, 2010, ^bresidential energy dispersion: ratio of the residential energy expenditures of the highest income group to the residential energy expenditure of the average household of the social group
Source: Own calculation based on German Federal Statistical Office, 2011, ^cTotal energy dispersion: ratio of the total energy expenditures of the highest income group to the total energy expenditure of the average household of the social group

ISSN: 2192-0567