The current rise in solo living, combined with the group’s increasing affluence and consumption, is likely to cause an environmental crisis, a new report concludes.

One-person households are the biggest consumers of land, energy and household appliances in England and Wales, with men between the ages of 35 and 45 being the worst offenders, according to the research by University College London.

The report, published online in the journal ‘Environment, Development and Sustainability’, concludes that the current rise in solo living, combined with the group’s increasing affluence and consumption, is likely to cause a consumption crisis. This must be countered by providing environmentally-friendly lifestyle choices for this emerging group, such as collective housing, relocation schemes and ecological homes, according to the report.

Dr Jo Williams, UCL Bartlett School of Planning, said: "Current trends show that one-person households are growing more rapidly than other types of household. Previously, the typical one-person householder was the widow, often on a tight budget and thrifty. The rise in younger, wealthier one-person households is having an increasingly serious impact on the environment."

In the UK the number of one-person households has risen significantly over the last 30 years. Between 1971 and 2001 there was a 12% shift from 18% of households being one-person households to 30% in 2001. Experts believe that the figure will rise to 38% – over a third of all households – by 2026.

The typical one-person household now is a far cry from its predecessor – the over 60s. The fastest growth in one-person householders is amongst those aged between 25 and 44 and particularly amongst never-married men aged 35 to 44. Every week, the latter group spends 39% more on household goods; every year, consumes 13% more energy and on average uses 6% more space than one-person households aged over 60.

One-person households are now wealthier than ever and, with the right advertising, may be willing to put money into more environmentally-friendly homes and products according to the research. There is also an opportunity to encourage high-tech, prestigious ecological new builds but property developers cite a need for more stringent statutory eco-standards for housing.

Among Dr Williams' suggestions is that the government include shared housing initiatives for single UK residents as part of their planned housing development programmes, taking the "opportunity to house this group in ecological new builds that are prestigious, well-designed, state-of-the-art and environmentally sound."