From the early 1980’s, energy consumption in households experienced high rates of growth. In fact, household energy consumption continued to increase, albeit at a slower rate. The number of vehicles in Sydney increased to almost 2.4 million in 2007, with the number of vehicles increasing at almost twice the rate of population and household growth over the past decade12. More people in outlying areas are dependent on cars for commuting, shopping and education because public transport services are poor.