smart metres or smart campaigns

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SMART METERS OR SMART CAMPAIGNS?Vincent Carragher, Tipperary Energy Agency,

Paul Kenny, Tipperary Energy Agency,Richard Moles, CES, University of Limerick.

Behave Conference, University of Oxford.4 September 2014.

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Presentation Outline

Briefly:

Set the Context

Methods

Results

Conclusions and Recommendations

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Context

Consumption & environmental impacts: Ireland Per person: 13.8t CO2, 48t Domestic Material Consumption, 3 planets, Municipal Solid Waste 700kg (4th).

Gaps: Efficiency Gap, Attitude-Behaviour Gap, Participation Gap & Policy Gaps. Challenging for those in Social, Participatory Science, Economic, Policy, Technology and Behavioural Psychology and Communication spectra.

Aim: Enhance Multidisciplinary Approaches by identifying factors which impact sustainable behaviour – community.

Build on: Community based research, Tipperary - UL.

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Methods

• Factor identification.– desktop and evidence based investigation.

• Factor testing on 2 groups households.– Community in Tipperary surveyed after four

year intervention.– Group of LA households - Technology

investigation, roll out to LA households & survey one year later.

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Results- factors identifiedNo. Actors No. Actors

1 Human actors 9 Higher Education Institutions

2 Religious groups 10 Business actors

3 Community/focus/local groups 11 Networks

4 Energy/environmental champion

12 Bridging Organisations

5 Project manager 13 Government

6 Local Authorities 14 European/Global actors

7 First /second level educators 15 Further education providers

8 Social Media 16 Exemplar/model communities

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Results- factors identifiedNo Drivers Drivers

1 Public disaffection 16 Effective communication

2 Social capital & participation 17 Feedback

3 Population pressure & land demand 18 Commitment

4 Environmental damage & global warming 19 Indicators/measurement/audits

5 Public opinion and dialogue 20 Compliance & incentives

6 Norms 21 Agency

7 Local circumstances 22 Policy

8 Infrastructure 23 Technology

9 Local Agenda 21 24 Rivalry

11 Ascription of responsibility 26 Identify and target barriers

12 Financial 27 Skilled facilitation

13 Training 28 Surveys

14 Regulation 29 Moral dilemma

15 Experiential Learning

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Results- factors identifiedNo Messaging Factors No Messaging Factors

1 Internalising the message 8 Narrative threads

2 Economic benefits 9 Bridging metaphors

3 Descriptive norms 10 Immediacy

4 Modelling 11 Recognition & personal norms

5 Solution orientated messaging 12 Other benefits (jobs, health etc.)

6 Practical benefits 13 Audience demographics

7 Importance of place    

8

First Test Tipperary Community

(2006)(2006) BallinBallina a

TownTown

Total Total BallinaBallina

PopulationPopulation 18611861 24592459

HomesHomes >700>700 >1100>1100

Population Population Growth Growth (2002-(2002-2006)2006)

57%57% 43%43%

9

EFCRI Year 1 Annual Ecological Footprint and Behaviour MeasurementAnnual Consumption Responsibility Intervention (EFCRI)

10

EFCRI Year 2

11

EFCRI Year 3EF Data Year 3

12

EF Data Year 4EFCRI Year 4EF Data Year 3

Results

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Results

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ResultsSecond Test

• 500 Local Authority Houses surveyed one year after installation and induction.

• 5% use of meters.• general mistrust and fatigue with such technology.• A number had instead been utilised as clocks. • Suspicion: “Who gains by this?”• Efficacy: “I already have a utility meter”.• Cost: “Who pays for those to be running?”

• These challenges and the poor technology use existed despite the technology induction for each householder.

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Conclusions

• 58 factors impacting resource conservation within communities.

• Not definitive but representative of the communities, literature and views sampled.

• List is reviewed and extended by others to increase utility.• Test 1 and its results show that a customised list would

support profiling and engagement of communities.• Testing the energy saving potential of the tested

technology against various drivers such as immediacy would be hugely beneficial.

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Conclusions

• Inter-disciplinary learning is essential - Social, Economic, Policy, Technology, Communication and Behavioural Psychology spectra.

• Integration of knowledge between the disciplines is vital for sustainability.

• A multi-track approach will be essential to move beyond one dimensional fixes and to support sustainable change.

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Email: vincent.carragher@ul.ie

vcarragher@tea.ie

Tipperary Energy Agency, Erasmus Smith House,

Cahir, Tipperary

Phone: (+353) 52 7443090

Resourceswww.aceforenergy.eu

www.tea.iewww.ul.ie/~cer

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