Study title

Free-time Residences and Energy Use 2023

Dataset ID Number

FSD3961

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3961
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3961

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Pitkänen, Kati (Finnish Environment Institute (Syke))
• Salo, Marja (Finnish Environment Institute (Syke))
• Niemistö, Johanna (Finnish Environment Institute (Syke))
• Strandell, Anna (Finnish Environment Institute (Syke))

Abstract

The survey investigated aspects of cottage living, such as energy use in cottages and travel related to cottage visits. The aim was to assess the resulting carbon footprint and examine how the energy and economic situation between 2021 and 2023 affected leisure housing. The survey was conducted as part of the Carbon Footprint of Second Homes project, funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Island Committee) and the Ministry of the Environment. The project also involved collaboration with the Freetime Apartment Owners' Association (VAAL ry) and the Finnish Home Owners' Association (Suomen Omakotiliitto ry).

Respondents were first asked about the decade in which their cottage was built, its intended use, and the distance to their permanent residence. Travel-related questions focused on the usual modes of transport, the energy source of any personal vehicle used, and whether there had been changes in travel habits or frequency over the past year. The survey also examined the number and nature of day trips made from the cottage.

Further questions addressed the annual fuel consumption of tools, machines, and other equipment used at the cottage. Respondents were asked about available power sources, the main heating method, and any additional heating systems. The survey also inquired whether heating was continuously used during the winter season of 2022/2023 and whether this differed from the previous year. In addition, respondents were asked whether any changes had been made to energy use or whether new power or heating sources had been acquired during the past year.

The final section of the survey focused on cottage usage. Respondents estimated the number of overnight stays across different seasons and the number of individuals who had stayed at the cottage during the past year. They were also asked whether they had worked remotely from the cottage.

Background variables in the dataset include the respondent's age group, employment status, municipality of residence, and municipality of the cottage.

Keywords

energy consumption; fossil fuels; heating systems; holidays; housing; leisure time activities; petrol consumption; renewable energy; second homes; travel

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Housing (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Consumption and consumer behaviour (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Leisure, tourism and sport (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Individual datasets

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• Finnish Environment Institute
• The data collection was also conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of the Environment, the Finnish Home Owners' Association, and the Freetime Apartment Owners' Association

Funders

• Ministry of Agriculture and Foresty. Island Committee.
• The Finnish Ministry of the Environment

Time Period Covered

2021 – 2023

Collection Dates

2023-02-13 – 2023-03-05

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Household

Universe

Owners and users of free-time residences (cottages) in Finland

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Non-probability: Availability

The link to the open online questionnaire was sent to members of the Finnish Home Owners' Association. In addition, the survey was promoted and the link shared through the communication channels of the project's implementers and funders. The survey was intended for all individuals whose household either owns or regularly uses a cottage located in Finland. Responses could be submitted in Finnish or Swedish. As the survey was conducted as an open online questionnaire, no response rate is available.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

1.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

Due to reasons of identifiability, open-ended responses of the type "other, please specify" from questions 8, 10, 13, 20, and 21 have been removed from the dataset by the Finnish Social Science Data Archive. For the same reason, open-ended responses to questions 22 and 26 have also been removed.

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Pitkänen, Kati (Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)) & Salo, Marja (Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)) & Niemistö, Johanna (Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)) & Strandell, Anna (Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)): Free-time Residences and Energy Use 2023 [dataset]. Data version 1.0 (2025-07-15). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3961; URN: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3961

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Niemistö, J., Salo, M., Pitkänen, K., Strandell, A., Helonheimo, T., & Rehunen, A. (2024). Mökkeilyn hiilijalanjälki Suomessa: Hiilijalanjäljen koko, osatekijät ja niihin vaikuttaminen vapaa-ajan asumisessa. Maa- ja metsätalousministeriön julkaisuja 2024:13. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-366-593-4