IELTS Task 1: Australian Household Energy Use (Pie Charts)
The Task
The two pie charts below show how household energy consumption was divided among different uses in Australia in 2000 and 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
2000
2020
Sample Band 8 Response
143 wordsModel answer written by EduForEveryone — for guidance only. Not an official examiner response.
The two pie charts compare how Australian households used energy across five categories in 2000 and 2020.
Overall, heating and cooling remained the largest single use in both years, but the most notable change was the sharp rise in the share taken by appliances, while water heating and lighting both declined.
In 2000, heating and cooling accounted for 38% of consumption, followed by water heating at 30%. Appliances made up 15%, with lighting and cooking taking the smallest shares at 12% and 5% respectively.
By 2020, heating and cooling had edged up slightly to 40%, retaining first place. The share consumed by appliances, however, had risen dramatically to 26%, almost doubling and moving into second position. Meanwhile water heating fell markedly to 20%, and lighting dropped to just 7%. Cooking rose marginally to 7%, leaving it level with lighting as the smallest category.