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Energy related behaviour change
Dr Heather Lovell
School of GeoSciences
University of Edinburgh
2nd Feb 2012
Introduction
1. What is energy behaviour change?
2. What do people in Scotland think about
energy behaviour change?
3. Questions & discussion
1. What is energy related behaviour
change?
• Usual definition: behaviours that reduce
energy demand in the home, undertaken by
householders
• Broad definition: Behaviours that influence
energy demand in the home, undertaken by
householders and housebuilders/landlords &
utilities
Both sides of the equation
Producers
Users
Social housing sector as leader
Other
6%
n/a
10%
Social
Housing
38%
Private
8%
Self Build
23%
Local
Authority
15%
Figure 3 – Initiators of UK low energy housing by tenure
source: Lovell (2005)
Heat and the City project:
sustainable heat and energy conservation
• UK Research Councils Energy programme funding
• Four year project
• Edinburgh and Strathclyde
Universities
• Multidisciplinary team
What we are doing
• Successful community
heating development
– UK and European experience
• Case studies Years 2-4
– Edinburgh and Glasgow
• Collaborative research
approach
Householder district heating surveys
• Cables Wynd, Leith,
Edinburgh – district
heating installation in
progress (c.200
homes)
• Wyndford Estate,
Maryhill, Glasgow –
district heating/CHP
installed in late 2012
(c.1500 homes)
2. What do people in Scotland think
about energy behaviour change?
• Scottish
Environmental
Attitudes and
Behaviour
Survey (2008)
• Face-to-face
interviews with
c3000 people in
late 2008
Salience of Environment
80
60
% 40
20
0
Env Imp Sc
Env Imp World
No Mention
Knowledge about Climate
Change?
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Knew a lot
Knew fair amount
Knew little
Had heard of it
Had never heard of it
Main Actions Likely to
Ameliorate Climate Change?
• Recycling (45%)
• Avoiding waste (36%)
• Using a more fuel efficient car (32%)
• Taking fewer foreign holidays (12%)
Interpretation 1
• Kerbside recycling
plus information has
made an impact
• Public measures,
which make change in
behaviour practical,
convenient and ‘cost
free’, work!
Interpretation 2 - ‘we all do a
little’?
• Does the fact that 45% cite recycling as
priority mean that people believe they can
fix the problem by minor adaptations to
lifestyle?
• What level of understanding?
Interpretation 3 - question assumes
individual responsibility?
• Answers based on choice of 13 ‘individual’
actions
• Opportunity to say ‘none of these’
• But not to give an answer which prioritises:
– Collective responsibility
– Or use of government powers of regulation in energy
supply, building standards, environment…
– Or major investment in infrastructure: public transport,
renewable energy, micro-generation etc
Environmental problems require
societal solutions
• Societies respond
differently to
environmental
damage
• Depending on
political, economic
and social
institutions
• Users & producers
Any questions?
• Heat and the City Project: Edinburgh &
Strathclyde Universities
• http://www.heatandthecity.org.uk/
• [email protected]