Domestic energy consumption in the UK has risen by 9% since 1995, according to a report from Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.  This puts UK households among the highest energy consumers in Europe, 40% higher than the French and 44% higher than the Germans, says the report. It argues that ‘soft’ legislation, like public awareness campaigns and long term financial incentives (such as the recently proposed stamp duty rebate), are unlikely to influence consumer behaviour much or encourage energy efficiency amongst householders.