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Local Opportunities in Energy Guidance to Improve Energy Efficiency in Households

Jenny Palm
Dept. Of Thematic Studies – Technology and social change, Linköping University, Sweden

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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Sustaining Everyday Life Conference

Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 38:17, s. 91-101

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Publicerad: 2010-11-05

ISBN:

ISSN: 1650-3686 (tryckt), 1650-3740 (online)

Abstract

This paper discusses local opportunities for improving energy efficiency that arise in households’ everyday practices and in relation to energy guidance. I discuss municipal energy consultants and information targeted households in relation to “local opportunities”. That is; situations where householders have a wide influence on the energy consumption: how to make investments; routines and behaviour more energy efficient and at the same time where energy consultants has the possibility to reach households and discuss how to make their routines and behaviour more energy efficient. The central question is: what are the local opportunities for energy consultants to reach households and contribute to increased energy efficiency in households? In the analysis I use the results from interviews with municipal energy consultants and householders done in five case studies.The analysis shows that the households are aware of behavioural issues and how to behave in an energy-efficient way. Information campaigns about switching off the lights; washing with a full machine; etc.; have reached the households. They could repeat such advice; though that did not indicate that they had implemented it.While homeowners looked for specific information; the tenants and tenant/owners did not ask for any information at all. Disseminating information on energy efficiency to tenants and tenant/owners is one opportunity for the consultants to increase these groups awareness of their local opportunities for energy efficiency. General energy efficiency advice was often so general that households had difficulties relating to it. Conducting individual inspections and keeping individual statistics regarding family energy use was often mentioned as an attractive measure. It was when information was combined; for example; with the installation of a meter that measured the reduction in energy use; that households realized the practical implications of; for example; advice to turn off the lights systematically. The combination of advice and direct feedback from a meter exemplifies how an often missed local opportunity can be turned into a seized opportunity.

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