No distinction between “idle” consumption of the house and peak
consumption: Most studies in the past have either used peak
consumption or the total electricity load. However, analyzing
the lower limit of electricity consumption (i.e., idle load) gives
valuable insights on the physical characteristics of the building.
For example, a leaky building may have higher idle load
because the heater or AC (air conditioner) needs to run
constantly. Furthermore, as we will show in the paper, the
distinction between idle and maximum consumption helps to
disaggregate the effect of structural and behavioral factors on
residential electricity consumption.