Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EnergyMEASURES (Tailored measures supporting energy vulnerable households)
Période du rapport: 2020-09-01 au 2022-05-31
EnergyMeasures aims to contribute to addressing energy poverty in seven European countries (BE, BG, IE, MK, NL, PL, UK) through two complementary and synergistic strands of work. Namely, through direct household engagements that are complemented and informed by cutting edge policy and practice innovations. Energy Poverty is a condition predicated upon a combination of high energy prices, low household incomes, inefficient buildings and appliances, and specific household energy needs. Energy poor households are faced with the choice of using an above-average portion of their income on heat, light, cooling, cooking and appliance use; or going without these essentials, resulting in a cold and uncomfortable home and reduced living standards. The consequences include significant deteriorations in people’s physical health and mental well-being, along with premature death related to severe winter conditions, as well as more restricted lifestyles and social exclusion.
The first strand is involving working with energy poor households to improve their energy efficiency through a combination of low-cost measures, and changes in their energy-related behaviours and practices. EnergyMeasures is mapping out key indicators characterising those most at-risk of energy poverty while leveraging partners’ ongoing projects and using their existing relationships with energy poor and at-risk households to recruit them for the household energy engagement programmes.
The second strand will comprise working with municipalities, energy authorities, housing associations and other relevant actors to assess how current multi-level institutional contexts affect efforts to alleviate energy vulnerability in the participating countries. These interlinked activities will also consider gender differentials in both people’s relationship with institutional actors and their lived experience of energy, and EnergyMeasures will work to mainstream this approach across the wider energy poverty community.
The first strand is involving working with energy poor households to improve their energy efficiency through a combination of low-cost measures, and changes in their energy-related behaviours and practices. EnergyMeasures is mapping out key indicators characterising those most at-risk of energy poverty while leveraging partners’ ongoing projects and using their existing relationships with energy poor and at-risk households to recruit them for the household energy engagement programmes.
The second strand will comprise working with municipalities, energy authorities, housing associations and other relevant actors to assess how current multi-level institutional contexts affect efforts to alleviate energy vulnerability in the participating countries. These interlinked activities will also consider gender differentials in both people’s relationship with institutional actors and their lived experience of energy, and EnergyMeasures will work to mainstream this approach across the wider energy poverty community.
During the initial stages of the project, partners developed and updated engagement plans, which describe specific approach(s) for the engagement of energy poor households in each country.
At the mid-point of the project, 1749 householders have been recruited in the project. And together, energy advisors and householders are aiming to both understand the energy performance of their residence and to capture their energy-related practices and behaviours. Surveys, interviews and focus-groups have been used to identify the best options for saving energy for each market segment, and specific actions which each household can take to reduce their energy demand are being suggested.
Small energy measures are supplied to each household and this is being leveraged for a more wide-ranging engagement supporting householders to understand and change their own energy-related practices, habits and behaviours. Ongoing support is provided, during which advisors are checking in with householders to monitor and providing them with encouragement and advice. In addition to a dedicated website section, email bulletins and messages on social media are providing householders with tips and reminders about specific changes to their behaviour.
Within the second (institutional focused) strand of the project, a total of 95 interviews have been undertaken across the seven participating countries. This has provided a number of useful insights into the lived experience of energy vulnerable households, particularly in relation to the inequalities people are coping with during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Analysis of these interviews points toward the importance of strengthening social resilience, particularly through intermediary organisations. The analysis also revealed these intermediaries are going beyond behavioural change interventions and instead are aiming to strengthen energy poor households’ capabilities to cope with energy poverty. These findings provide relevant points of departure for subsequent work in the project.
Furthermore, existing policies and other support schemes for energy-vulnerable households in the seven partner countries were analysed using a social resilience and environmental justice lens. Findings pointed to the relevance of recognising the specific needs of energy poor households relating to their capabilities and available resources while assessing the distributive impacts of these policies.
These interlinked activities undertaken during this reporting period have considered gender differentials in both people’s relationship with institutional actors and their lived experience of energy.
At the mid-point of the project, 1749 householders have been recruited in the project. And together, energy advisors and householders are aiming to both understand the energy performance of their residence and to capture their energy-related practices and behaviours. Surveys, interviews and focus-groups have been used to identify the best options for saving energy for each market segment, and specific actions which each household can take to reduce their energy demand are being suggested.
Small energy measures are supplied to each household and this is being leveraged for a more wide-ranging engagement supporting householders to understand and change their own energy-related practices, habits and behaviours. Ongoing support is provided, during which advisors are checking in with householders to monitor and providing them with encouragement and advice. In addition to a dedicated website section, email bulletins and messages on social media are providing householders with tips and reminders about specific changes to their behaviour.
Within the second (institutional focused) strand of the project, a total of 95 interviews have been undertaken across the seven participating countries. This has provided a number of useful insights into the lived experience of energy vulnerable households, particularly in relation to the inequalities people are coping with during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Analysis of these interviews points toward the importance of strengthening social resilience, particularly through intermediary organisations. The analysis also revealed these intermediaries are going beyond behavioural change interventions and instead are aiming to strengthen energy poor households’ capabilities to cope with energy poverty. These findings provide relevant points of departure for subsequent work in the project.
Furthermore, existing policies and other support schemes for energy-vulnerable households in the seven partner countries were analysed using a social resilience and environmental justice lens. Findings pointed to the relevance of recognising the specific needs of energy poor households relating to their capabilities and available resources while assessing the distributive impacts of these policies.
These interlinked activities undertaken during this reporting period have considered gender differentials in both people’s relationship with institutional actors and their lived experience of energy.
Combining a selection of small energy measures with energy advice and support that is tailored to the circumstances of individual households such as in EnergyMeasures can result in significant savings that go beyond the state-of-the-art. Not only will the project provide individualised support and tailor energy-use advice to specific market segments and households, but it will also be distinguished by its focus on energy practices. By interrogating the collective norms and expectations which support habitual energy practices, in the context of changes to the socio-technical infrastructure in which they are embedded, EnergyMeasures aims to produce lasting changes. The expected results are to implement household energy engagement programmes directly engaging with 3,650 energy poor households in seven countries, representing approximately 10,585 consumers. The project will result in good quality replicable case studies that will provide valuable lessons that can be transferred elsewhere.
Based on our experience in implementing household energy projects, and these data, we estimate that a tailored package of small measures (i.e. a selection of the listed measures, selected with, and suited to, individuals households specificities) in combination with a bespoke energy change plan for households – supported through visits of trained advisors will deliver an average reduced energy demand of 850 kWh per household across the seven countries, with reduced electricity demand of c. 325 kWh and reduced heating energy demand (including electricity) of c. 525 kWh.
EnergyMeasures also aims to produce a set of policy recommendations on energy poverty which will impact on policies and strategies across Europe. In order to maximise impact, the project will systematically identify and exploit opportunities to contribute to the policy development process in all partner countries, as well as at the European level. This will involve: contributing to policy development in different sectoral areas which are relevant to energy poverty, such as energy policy, housing policy, anti-poverty strategies, etc.; contributing to national renovation strategies; etc. We will focus on influencing a limited number of high-impact national policies, at crucial moments. Our partners are already actively engaged in policy advocacy and support at national and local level in their countries as well as at the European level this existing profile and their current activities in this area ensure the achievability of these targets.
Based on our experience in implementing household energy projects, and these data, we estimate that a tailored package of small measures (i.e. a selection of the listed measures, selected with, and suited to, individuals households specificities) in combination with a bespoke energy change plan for households – supported through visits of trained advisors will deliver an average reduced energy demand of 850 kWh per household across the seven countries, with reduced electricity demand of c. 325 kWh and reduced heating energy demand (including electricity) of c. 525 kWh.
EnergyMeasures also aims to produce a set of policy recommendations on energy poverty which will impact on policies and strategies across Europe. In order to maximise impact, the project will systematically identify and exploit opportunities to contribute to the policy development process in all partner countries, as well as at the European level. This will involve: contributing to policy development in different sectoral areas which are relevant to energy poverty, such as energy policy, housing policy, anti-poverty strategies, etc.; contributing to national renovation strategies; etc. We will focus on influencing a limited number of high-impact national policies, at crucial moments. Our partners are already actively engaged in policy advocacy and support at national and local level in their countries as well as at the European level this existing profile and their current activities in this area ensure the achievability of these targets.