Factors Affecting the Demand for Energy (Cambridge International IGCSE Environmental Management)

What factors affect energy demand?

Transport

• Demand increases when more people use cars, buses, trains and planes

  • Transport needs large amounts of fuel or electricity

• More road networks and airports increase energy use

• Growth in delivery services and online shopping increases fuel use for transport

Personal and national wealth

• Wealthier people use more electrical appliances, heating and cooling

• High-income countries have more vehicles and larger homes, increasing energy use

• Wealthier nations have more industry and technology, which require large amounts of energy

• A weaker economy results in:

  • Less manufacturing (less energy used)
  • Less transport of goods (less energy used)
  • Less purchasing of foreign energy supplies (less energy used)

Climate

• Cold climates need more heating in homes, schools and workplaces
• Hot climates need more air conditioning, increasing electricity demand
• Extreme weather (storms, heatwaves) increases use of cooling, heating and emergency services

Human population size

• Larger populations require more housing, transport and electricity
• Growing populations increase demand for food production, which uses energy for machinery and transport
• More people increases demand for public services like hospitals and schools, raising energy use

Industry

• Countries with more manufacturing and heavy industry use far more energy
• Factories, machinery and processing plants need continuous power
• As a country develops, industry expands and energy demand rises

Disruption to supply

• Natural disasters (storms, floods, earthquakes) can damage power stations, pipelines or grids

  • This can create sudden increases in demand elsewhere

• Political conflicts can disrupt oil and gas supply, causing shortages

• When supply is disrupted, people may need backup generators, increasing energy use

Unreliable supply

• Areas with unreliable electricity supply may rely on generators, which need extra fuel
• People may store spare fuel or batteries, increasing overall energy demand
• Businesses may use multiple energy sources to avoid outages, raising consumption

Scarcity of resources

• When energy resources become scarce, countries may try to extract more to maintain supply
• Scarcity increases demand for alternative sources, such as renewables or imported fuel
• As fossil fuel reserves decline, countries may use more energy searching for new reserves

Exam Hint When explaining energy demand, always link the factor to a specific effect. For example, don’t just say “wealth increases energy use”—say “wealth increases energy use because more appliances and cars are used.” Examiners want clear cause-and-effect.

For population size, avoid vague ideas like “more people need more energy.” Instead, give concrete examples such as “more homes, more transport, and more food production.” Specific examples always gain more marks

Students often confuse unreliable supply with scarcity. Unreliable supply is about electricity cutting out; scarcity is about fuel running out.