Children, parents and home energy use: Exploring motivations and limits to energy demand reduction

While almost 30% of UK households include children, little research has attempted to present children's perspectives on home energy use. This study used focus groups with children and parents at two primary (elementary) schools in London, UK, to explore home energy use and energy feedback. Energy was found to be a little-discussed subject at home. Children derived more motivation to save energy from responsibility conferred by school activities than other (e.g. environmental) concerns, and some connected energy saving with dangers of using electricity (e.g. fire). Material and social constraints (e.g. access to outside space, parents' environmental attitudes) meant that it was sometimes difficult for children to save energy even when motivated. However, parents showed greater inclination to pay attention to energy saving when framed as supporting their child's learning than as a financial or environmental concern. Children were disinclined to reduce energy-consuming activities such as watching television, and while parents complained about children's energy use most saw it as a low priority issue. Policy implications of these findings are considered, and the approach employed is argued to be an effective way of investigating children's perceptions around energy use

Anticipating distributional impacts of peer-to-peer energy trading: Inference from a realist review of evidence on Airbnb

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading – where energy prosumers transact directly between each other – could help enable transition to a low-carbon energy system. If it is to be supported in policy and regulation, it is important to anticipate the distributional impacts (or how it might impact segments of society differently). However, real-world evidence on P2P energy trading is currently extremely limited. To address this challenge in the short- to medium-term, this study aimed to explore what might be learned from the extensive body of research on a comparable offering in the accommodation sector: Airbnb. A realist review approach was employed to maximise transferability of findings, focused on what mechanisms are thought to lead to what distributional outcomes, in what contexts. On the basis of the review, participation in P2P energy trading schemes would be expected to represent disproportionately those living in areas with network management challenges, who are younger and more highly educated. This is likely to be moderated by access to generation assets and the kinds of service it is possible to trade. The review also raised the prospect of discrimination on the basis of characteristics such as race and gender where there are high levels of individual choice over who to trade with. Recommendations include monitoring, incentivising diversity, anonymization, limiting some trading choices, and diversifying what can be traded

Behaviour, practice – whatever? A theory-agnostic framework for describing and informing demand-side response

Different theoretical perspectives present diverse interpretations for why and how people may (or may not) be able to vary their electricity consumption patterns, and often propose different approaches to facilitating demand-side response (DSR). The framework set out here is suggested as a way of matching and marrying these various approaches with the goal of exploring how to achieve the maximum possible demand response which people are happy and able to provide. The framework is based around ‘electricity-relevant dimensions’, or factors which may be considered to be associated in some way with a person or people’s electricity use – activities engaged in, location, room temperature, and so on. Within each dimension, any at instant in time, certain states (such as ‘walking’ or ‘watching TV’ for activity) are more or less possible/acceptable than others for a variety of reasons. Effective DSR is understood as involving influencing adoption of those states with lower (or higher, as necessary) electricity outcomes at certain times, from a ‘phase space’ of possible options. This paper describes how the framework can be used to consider the role of DSR interventions with their roots in different theoretical positions, such as changes in material conditions or competencies (associated with social practice theory), or in the framing of messages to activate loss-aversion (behavioural economics). It is intended to prompt consideration of how such approaches (and their proponents) could work together to optimize the potential of DSR programmes and policies, and is illustrated throughout with real and hypothetical examples

TReQ Tools: How to Improve Transparency, Reproducibility and Quality in Energy Research

This working paper provides a toolkit to help energy researchers conduct transparent, reproducible (where appropriate) and quality research -- or TReQ research for short. Energy use is key to global challenges such as climate change, while also playing an important role in the day-to-day lives of people and communities. But how sure can we be that the research done in these areas is providing reliable findings? Unlike in fields such as medicine, energy research has not adopted many of the tools and practices needed to maximise the transparency, quality and reproducibility of studies. The consequence of this is that evidence-based policy and practice may be built on shaky foundations. This document aims to set out the principles and tools that all energy researchers should now consider bringing to their work. It provides practical instruction on approaches such as pre-analysis plans, reporting guidelines and systematic evidence reviews that are widely used in other fields to support TReQ research. Crucially, it draws on the recognition that real-world research can be messy and unpredictable – and therefore considers how best to design and conduct resilient research under these circumstances. Applicable for quantitative and qualitative approaches in a wide range of disciplines, we hope this developing document will be a useful reference for energy and buildings researchers everywhere, whether in training or in practice

Consumer Demand for Blockchain-Enabled Peer-to-Peer Electricity Trading in the United Kingdom: An online survey experiment

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading could help address grid management challenges in a decentralizing electricity system, as well as provide other social and environmental benefits. Many existing and proposed trading schemes are enabled by blockchain, a distributed ledger technology (DLT) relying on cryptographic proof of ownership rather than human intermediaries to establish energy transactions. This study used an online survey experiment (n = 2064) to investigate how consumer demand for blockchain-enabled peer-to-peer energy trading schemes in the United Kingdom varies depending on how the consumer proposition is designed and communicated. The analysis provides some evidence of a preference for schemes offering to meet a higher proportion of participants’ energy needs and for those operating at the city/region (as compared to national or neighbourhood) level. People were more likely to say they would participate when the scheme was framed as being run by their local council, followed by an energy supplier, community energy organization, and social media company. Anonymity was the most valued DLT characteristic and mentioning blockchain’s association with Bitcoin led to a substantial decrease in intended uptake. We highlight a range of important questions and implications suggested by these findings for the introduction and operation of P2P trading schemes

Improving energy research practices: guidance for transparency, reproducibility and quality

Energy use is of crucial importance for the global challenge of climate change, and also is an essential part of daily life. Hence, research on energy needs to be robust and valid. Other scientific disciplines have experienced a reproducibility crisis, i.e. existing findings could not be reproduced in new studies. The ‘TReQ’ approach is recommended to improve research practices in the energy field and arrive at greater transparency, reproducibility and quality. A highly adaptable suite of tools is presented that can be applied to energy research approaches across this multidisciplinary and fast-changing field. In particular, the following tools are introduced – preregistration of studies, making data and code publicly available, using preprints, and employing reporting guidelines – to heighten the standard of research practices within the energy field. The wider adoption of these tools can facilitate greater trust in the findings of research used to inform evidence-based policy and practice in the energy field

The Radio Teleswitch: An historical perspective on the roll-out of domestic load control

In the mid-1990s, much like today, there was strong research interest in demand management in the built environment and its potential for mitigating electricity grid challenges. Tariffs, technologies and infrastructure required to enable it had been developed and were generally available. So what went wrong? Since 1984 in Great Britain, the 'radio teleswitch' system had allowed for remote switching of meters and of loads such as electric heating in people's homes. Electrical engineers anticipated that this would usher in an era of improved load management and promote more even demand. But by 1996 the system was described as being 'significantly under utilised' [1] and, while hopes remained high, only a small percentage of British homes today have dynamically switched meters, heating or hot water [2]. This paper, based on historical desk research, outlines the development of the radio teleswitch system and compares it to discussions around smart grids and automation that are live today. It considers how dynamically switched systems were promoted and introduced to homes, how the landscape has now changed, and whether these changes might be enough to allow the systems being discussed now a greater chance of success. In this way it attempts to introduce a novel perspective to understanding both the deployment of load control technology in buildings and the limits on making efficient use of electricity infrastructure. It also hopes to inform current research and development by highlighting the rich track record of work in this area

Taking charge: perceived control and acceptability of domestic demand-side response

If widely adopted, domestic demand-side response (DSR) could help make Great Britain’s electricity system more secure, clean and affordable. However, research suggests some people have concerns about participating in DSR programmes, and prominent amongst these is a perceived loss of personal control. This programme of research used a combination of interview and survey methods to explore what such concern might encompass and how it relates to the acceptability of DSR. Initial focus group findings were drawn on to extend the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with perceived control constructs and develop an associated measurement scale. A survey experiment including the new scale was deployed to a representative sample of GB bill-payers (N=2002) to test for the first time the relative acceptability of static/dynamic time of use (TOU) tariffs, with/without automated response, and direct load control (DLC). DLC was shown to be acceptable in principle to many people, with a tariff permitting limited DLC of heating being significantly more popular than the TOU tariffs. The option of automated response made dynamic TOU (otherwise the least popular tariff) as acceptable as static TOU. This is important because dynamic TOU offers additional network benefits, while automation can improve duration and reliability of response. The tariffs were generally rated highly for giving people control over spending on electricity, but perceived control over general service quality, ease of use and savings potential were more important in overall acceptance and should be prioritized in product development/communication. Further research in a field trial including automated response by heat pumps to TOU tariffs highlighted various challenges if automated DSR is to be acceptable in reality. These include overheating potential when pre-heating at lower prices, the importance of ease of use, and effective override ability. The implications of these and other findings for policy, industry and research are discussed

Knowing me, knowing you: the role of trust, locus of control and privacy concern in acceptance of domestic electricity demand-side response

Choosing to take part in a demand-side response (DSR) programme entails accepting external influence over one’s energy consumption patterns, such as through price or direct load control (DLC) signals. If participation is low, the programme will be ineffective. How might people’s perceptions of their relationship with the influencing entity affect the likelihood of participation? This study used a representative survey of Great Britain (N=2002) to explore the importance of trust, privacy concern and locus of control for acceptance of different approaches to influencing electricity consumption. Survey respondents were randomly shown a description of one of five DSR products (static time of use [TOU] tariff, static TOU with automated response to price changes, dynamic TOU, dynamic TOU with automated response, and DLC), framed as being offered by their electricity supplier. They then responded to a number of scales including those intended to measure trust in their supplier, privacy concern and locus of control. Controlling for demographic variables, trust in electricity supplier was significantly positively associated with acceptance of all tariffs, although the effect size was smaller for the automated TOU tariffs. The specific measure of trust in the supplier to ensure a reliable electricity supply was significantly negatively associated with acceptance of the dynamic TOU tariff. Privacy concern was significantly negatively associated with acceptance of all tariffs, with the strongest effect for the automated dynamic TOU tariff. Locus of control was a significant factor only in the case of DLC, where external locus was related to higher acceptance. These results suggest the existing low levels of trust in energy companies in the UK may present a challenge in securing uptake of DSR, and an opportunity to trusted entrants from other sectors. Automation within the home may mitigate trust concerns, but people must have confidence in the privacy of this arrangement. DLC may be viewed especially positively by people who currently perceive themselves to have little control over their energy use, but protections should be in place to ensure they are not exploited