１９８５年プラザ合意からの急激な円高、および翌年の原油価格暴落は日本のエネルギー消費を一変させた。円高は経済を内需主導型へと転換させ、円高不況はエネルギー消費を低迷させた。しかし１９８０年代末からの平成景気によって住宅や耐久消費財の拡充がなされ、家庭エネルギー消費は着実に増加した。家電機器は大型化、多機能化され、普及率も上がる。とりわけエアコンの保有が大きくのびた。家庭エネルギー消費のなかで成長が顕著だったのは動力、給湯、冷房であり、比率が低下したのは厨房用と暖房用であった。
Rapid appreciation of the yen from the Plaza Accord in 1985, and crude oil price slump of the following year transformed the energy consumption of Japan. The yen was converted to a domestic demand-driven economy, a high-yen recession caused sluggish energy consumption. But the expansion of consumer durables and housing was made during the Heisei boom from the late 1980s, home energy consumption has increased steadily since then. Large, home appliances are now multi-functional, the penetration rate will continue to rise. Possession of air conditioning has in particular greatly increased energy consumption. The biggest increase in household electric consumption is in hot water and air conditioning, while comparatively reductions in heating and kitchen energy consumption have fallen.
