No.89, Thursday, 5th.March 2026

I feel calm today, perhaps in part reflecting the hazy calm on the other side of the window. And I am glad of it. A day off between two busy days is most welcome. I have no plans and can please myself what I do, and when I do it. Living alone is not all bad!

Living alone could, of course, be considered something of a luxury; it is certainly more expensive than sharing a home with a partner. On balance I would prefer to have a partner but I cannot see how that could happen.

I remember many years ago studying energy consumption data alongside the resultant carbon dioxide and methane emissions. These studies became linked to fuel poverty, climate change and housing. After about 2000 a range of policies were put in place with the aim of reducing energy consumption, but they were not working as expected. Exploring the data it became obvious that one of the key reasons for this was the shift to smaller households – and especially more people living alone. Energy consumption per person was on the rise.

Smaller households led to a demand for more (and different) housing, which in turn meant more land use. It felt as if you just couldn’t win. It was hard enough to increase the energy efficiency of homes that were essentially unfit for purpose, but how do you stem the increase in single-person households? I am not sure that you can. I am part of the ‘problem’, which housing professionals refer to as under-occupation. If only it could be made easier for people like me to move to smaller quality accommodation; my energy consumption would fall overnight. As for finding a partner, I am not at all sure that even the most creative policy could help with that!