Public Understanding of Sustainable Energy Consumption in the Home

Abstract:

<p>Energy consumption in the home was recognised in the Sustainable Consumption Roundtable's (SCR) report "I will if you will" as one of five key areas of behaviour that has the greatest and potentially most negative impact on the environment (alongside food, leisure, finance & investments and transport).</p> <p>The period since the early 1970s - when energy prices last prompted concerted effort to restrict consumption - have seen, on the supply side, the rise and peak of North Sea oil and gas, the near total deregulation of the energy market and, more recently, the emergence of renewable energy technologies, significant geo-political shifts in the distribution of energy supply, and - it would seem - the rehabilitation of nuclear. On the demand side, consumption has risen remorselessly, driven by ever-falling prices and ever-increasing numbers of electricity-dependent household goods (the demand for which, in turn, has been a function of steadily rising living standards, falling prices and "lifestyles"). Indeed, since 1990, domestic energy consumption has increased by 18% (and by 30% since 1970).</p> <p>In short, powerful forces have contrived over a prolonged period of time to ensure that typical householders in Britain in the early twenty first century do not merely expect limitless cheap energy to support their lifestyles - many barely give the matter a thought. This "carbon-dependent" consumer world has been the subject of sustained criticism from a minority of voices for many years, but it is only in the recent past that mainstream political opinion has acknowledged that there may be a problem associated with national energy habits (rather than the problem merely being how to support such habits). Whilst the Renewables Obligation and the commitments made in the 2002 Energy White Paper began the process, it is policy developments in the past couple of years that seem to represent a break with the past, notably the Stern Review, the latest IPCC review as well as the recent Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) 2008-2011.</p> <p>The project was divided into four main qualitative research phases: <bl> <li>A brief, concise literature review on consumer energy habits;</li> <li>12 focus groups of 8-10 people (114 people in total). Suburban residents across a mix of housing types were recruited in four distinct geographical locations according to Defra's "environmental segmentation model" (this is described in more detail below);</li> <li>Energy audits and in-home advice (24 people). Two people from each group participated in "action research" and underwent an energy audit of their home with a specialist energy consultant;</li> <li>Depth interviews with audit participants (23 people). Each participant was asked to consider the advice over the course of one week and discuss the barriers and motivations behind implementing what they had learnt through an in-depth interview.</li> </p> <p>It is clear that it has taken thirty years of subsidised insulation programmes across the country, for the public to become familiar with - and receptive to - the idea of insulation. Even then, the public do not associate insulation with energy consumption, 60% of homes with cavities in the UK still need cavity wall insulation and some people still feel unfamiliar with the technological "know how" involved. With this in mind, it would have been highly unlikely that the bulk of the British public would be installing photo voltaic cells on their own roofs or switching to green energy tariffs anytime soon. It appears that the day when solar panels become the "norm" and are accepted into British daily life is some way away.</p> <p>The reality is that there is no "silver bullet". The most effective policies to combat global warming already exist (in terms of insulation etc) and this research merely advocates a continuation of some of these historical initiatives, albeit at a far more rapid rate than ever before. It may not be the most interesting answer to climate change, but it will certainly be the most effective. </p> This report is divided into the following sections: <ol> <li>Introduction</li> <li>Methodology</li> <li>Policy context</li> <li>The current 'state of play'</li> <li>The five behavioural goals</li> <li>Possible interventions and roles</li> <li>Conclusions and recommendations</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Annex A: Segmentation model</li> <li>Annex B: Recruitment questionnaire</li> <li>Annex C: Focus group topic guide</li> <li>Annex D: Depth interview topic guide</li> </ul>

Author(s):

Brook Lyndhurst Ltd