Professor Andy Steele discusses challenges and opportunities around increasing household energy efficiency. Recent research found a lack of understanding about the link between energy consumption and cost, as well as "habitual behavior" that is difficult to change. While energy use and expectations of comfort have increased over time, there have also been many advancements in energy-efficient technologies. However, engaging customers with these technologies remains problematic. The challenges include competing priorities for households, disempowering messages about climate change, and a lack of awareness about energy use. Moving forward, greater transparency around costs and immediate savings incentives could help motivate behavior changes, along with community-based and customer-focused approaches.

1. Professor Andy Steele
Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit
University of Salford

2. Introduction
Recent research in Bolton has found:
• Direct trade-off between different utilities
‘Saving money on our electric means we can
now have baths rather than showers’
• Lack of engagement with retrofit technologies
• Lack of understanding of link between
consumption & cost (how much does it cost to
boil a kettle?)
• Unconscious ‘habitual behaviour’ – difficult to
change

3. Background
• Increase in domestic energy consumption (from 25% to
30% between 1970 -2001
• Energy consumption within the home increased by 34%
since 1970
• Increase in range/number of appliances within the home –
59% of households have 2+ TVs

4. Background cont…
• Expectations of ‘personal comfort’ within the home –
internal temp increased from 12.0C to 17.30C (1970-2008)
external temp increased from 5.80C to 6.40C
• Increase in fuel poverty
– estimated that in 2011
over 5.5million
households fuel poor –
21% of all households
• Plethora of advancements in energy-efficiency
technologies – customer interaction is problematic

5. The challenges
Increasing the level of interest among households:
• 40% more important things to worry about
• Links with climate change can be disempowering
• Increasing prices - ‘blame culture’ & utility companies
• Energy use is not ‘a dinner table topic’
• Lack of awareness of energy consumption

6. Educating households about energy conservation:
• Limited impact of national campaigns - ‘5 a day’
• Conflicting messages - ‘an apple a day..’
• The role of ‘personal choice’ – energy-efficient light
bulbs!
The challenges cont…
• The perceived costs of being
energy-efficient (energy
monitors use energy!)

7. Advice & information:
The challenges cont…
• Lack of knowledge of where to find information
• Perceived information overload – piecemeal rather
than strategic approach
• Conflicting information, partial evidence & lack of
locally-relevant information
• Format and language of messages
• Credibility or trustworthiness of information source
• Advice requires pro-active approach, perceived as
problematic (e.g. loft insulation and clearing loft)

8. The future
Greater emphasis on:
• Transparent cost information on appliances
• Immediately evident financial savings from behaviour &
relevant incentives (e.g. savings accrued contribute towards
holiday)
• Comparable households and energy use (competition)

9. The future cont…
• Customer focused research around engagement with new
retrofit technologies (what works and why)
• Community based approaches to energy efficiency
behaviour change (trusted source, locally relevant)

10. The challenge of influencing consumer
behaviour change is daunting but one small
step in the right direction can have an immense
impact in the longer term.
We need to respond to these challenges now.