Energy use in the home

A selection of insights in to consumer behaviour

28th June, 2010

2

Small behaviours

Habits in the home

3

Current position

61%

42%

21%

67%

49%

29%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Switch off unused lights Turn appliances offinstead of standby

Wash clothes at 30degrees

2007 2009

4

But…

62% 62%59%

50%

35%33% 34%

31%

2% 3%5%

9%

0% 1% 1%

9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Boiling kettle Turning lights off Turning appliances off Clothes at 30c

All the time

Mostly (threequarters of thetime)Half of the time

Occasionally(quarter)

What works?

.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0A

ll th

e tim

e

Mos

tly (t

hree

quar

ters

of

the

time)

Hal

f of t

hetim

e

Occ

asio

nally

(qua

rter)

Nev

er

%

RTD SampleControl Sample

6

Basic measures

Lofts and cavities

7

Key barriers for CWI

24%

18%

25%

18%

15%

Awarenes s

Motivation

Affordabi l i ty

Doubts about theeffi ciency/might causedampOther

8

• Important role for information and advice- but more proactive provision? Area-based approaches- HIS

• Also need for additional incentives/ subsidy or stronger compulsion? eg PRS

What works

Importance of trust

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Friends and family

Local community groups

Electricity and gas suppliers

Charities e.g. Help the Aged, RSPB

Local council

UK Govt

Devolved Govt

Energy Saving Trust

Not trustworthy as they have hidden motives

Only partly trustworthy asthey may have mixed motives

Trustworthy and impartial

Don't know

10

High cost measures

Microgen and solid wall insulation

11

Microgen

35

26

45

28

46

60

35

51

10

6

4

11

6

9

9

10

11

Installing solar waterheating at home

Installing a wind turbine togenerate electricity at home

Installing a ground sourceheat pump

Installing solar panels forelectricity at home

%

Haven't heard/thought about this Don't want to/Probably won't do this Thinking about doing this

Doing this Don't know Not Applicable

Time spent on web pages

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Generate your own energy

Home improvements andproducts

Travel

Help and Support

Easy ways to stop wastingenergy

Key barriers for SWI

45%

16%

28%

11%

Awareness

Motivation

Affordabi l i ty

Other

Barriers to Internal Wall Insulation

28%

43%

61%

62%

4. There are alwayshidden costs

3. Too expensive

2. Having toredecorate

1. Physicaldisruption to install

15

Price

% interested

in purchasing

Significant (specific) barriers

16

What works• Tailored advice

• Use trigger points- role of builders

• Demonstration projects

• Field trials of technologies

• Incentives