IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v127y2019icp475-485.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Domestic thermal upgrades, community action and energy saving: A three-year experimental study of prosperous households

Author

Listed:
  • Bardsley, Nicholas
  • Büchs, Milena
  • James, Patrick
  • Papafragkou, Anastasios
  • Rushby, Thomas
  • Saunders, Clare
  • Smith, Graham
  • Wallbridge, Rebecca
  • Woodman, Nicholas

Abstract

A three-year field experiment was conducted with 185 prosperous households to assess whether behavioural interventions by a community environmental group during and after thermal upgrades (cavity wall and/or loft insulation) can achieve reductions in households’ energy use, including reductions in direct and indirect rebound. The engineering interventions on the thermal efficiency of dwellings appear effective in reducing energy use in both treatment and control groups: a direct rebound effect is estimated to be at most 40 per cent from the engineering interventions. However, across a range of measures of energy use, we observe no significant effect of the community behavioural intervention across the total lifetime of the project. Qualitative data collected on similar community groups suggests substantial constraints on their capacity to realise reductions in energy use amongst households.

Suggested Citation

  • Bardsley, Nicholas & Büchs, Milena & James, Patrick & Papafragkou, Anastasios & Rushby, Thomas & Saunders, Clare & Smith, Graham & Wallbridge, Rebecca & Woodman, Nicholas, 2019. "Domestic thermal upgrades, community action and energy saving: A three-year experimental study of prosperous households," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 475-485.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:127:y:2019:i:c:p:475-485
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2018.11.036
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421518307638
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.11.036?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. McMichael, Megan & Shipworth, David, 2013. "The value of social networks in the diffusion of energy-efficiency innovations in UK households," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 159-168.
    2. Middlemiss, Lucie & Parrish, Bradley D., 2010. "Building capacity for low-carbon communities: The role of grassroots initiatives," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7559-7566, December.
    3. Barr, Stewart & Shaw, Gareth & Coles, Tim & Prillwitz, Jan, 2010. "‘A holiday is a holiday’: practicing sustainability, home and away," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 474-481.
    4. John Mohan, 2012. "Geographical Foundations of the Big Society," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(5), pages 1121-1127, May.
    5. Michael Nye & Tom Hargreaves, 2010. "Exploring the Social Dynamics of Proenvironmental Behavior Change," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 14(1), pages 137-149, January.
    6. Hargreaves, Tom & Nye, Michael & Burgess, Jacquelin, 2013. "Keeping energy visible? Exploring how householders interact with feedback from smart energy monitors in the longer term," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 126-134.
    7. Shane Fudge & Michael Peters, 2011. "Behaviour Change in the UK Climate Debate: An Assessment of Responsibility, Agency and Political Dimensions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(6), pages 1-20, June.
    8. Howell, Rachel A., 2012. "Living with a carbon allowance: The experiences of Carbon Rationing Action Groups and implications for policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 250-258.
    9. Andrew McCulloch & John Mohan & Peter Smith, 2012. "Patterns of Social Capital, Voluntary Activity, and Area Deprivation in England," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(5), pages 1130-1147, May.
    10. Revell, Kristy, 2014. "Estimating the environmental impact of home energy visits and extent of behaviour change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 461-470.
    11. Ropke, Inge, 2001. "New technology in everyday life - social processes and environmental impact," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 403-422, September.
    12. Simon Guy, 2006. "Designing Urban Knowledge: Competing Perspectives on Energy and Buildings," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 24(5), pages 645-659, October.
    13. Dan Vickers & Phil Rees, 2007. "Creating the UK National Statistics 2001 output area classification," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 170(2), pages 379-403, March.
    14. Georg, Susse, 1999. "The social shaping of household consumption," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 455-466, March.
    15. Heiskanen, Eva & Johnson, Mikael & Robinson, Simon & Vadovics, Edina & Saastamoinen, Mika, 2010. "Low-carbon communities as a context for individual behavioural change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7586-7595, December.
    16. Sorrell, Steve & Dimitropoulos, John & Sommerville, Matt, 2009. "Empirical estimates of the direct rebound effect: A review," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1356-1371, April.
    17. Dowson, Mark & Poole, Adam & Harrison, David & Susman, Gideon, 2012. "Domestic UK retrofit challenge: Barriers, incentives and current performance leading into the Green Deal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 294-305.
    18. Steg, Linda, 2008. "Promoting household energy conservation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 4449-4453, December.
    19. Gill Seyfang & Alex Haxeltine, 2012. "Growing Grassroots Innovations: Exploring the Role of Community-Based Initiatives in Governing Sustainable Energy Transitions," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 30(3), pages 381-400, June.
    20. David Clifford, 2012. "Voluntary Sector Organisations Working at the Neighbourhood Level in England: Patterns by Local Area Deprivation," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(5), pages 1148-1164, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Seyfang, Gill & Park, Jung Jin & Smith, Adrian, 2013. "A thousand flowers blooming? An examination of community energy in the UK," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 977-989.
    2. Joeri Naus & Hilje M van der Horst, 2017. "Accomplishing information and change in a smart grid pilot: Linking domestic practices with policy interventions," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(3), pages 379-396, May.
    3. Büchs, Milena & Bahaj, AbuBakr S. & Blunden, Luke & Bourikas, Leonidas & Falkingham, Jane & James, Patrick & Kamanda, Mamusu & Wu, Yue, 2018. "Promoting low carbon behaviours through personalised information? Long-term evaluation of a carbon calculator interview," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 284-293.
    4. Forman, Alister, 2017. "Energy justice at the end of the wire: Enacting community energy and equity in Wales," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 649-657.
    5. Burchell, Kevin & Rettie, Ruth & Roberts, Tom C., 2016. "Householder engagement with energy consumption feedback: the role of community action and communications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 178-186.
    6. Jiang, Ping & Chen, Yihui & Xu, Bin & Dong, Wenbo & Kennedy, Erin, 2013. "Building low carbon communities in China: The role of individual’s behaviour change and engagement," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 611-620.
    7. Anna Borawska & Mariusz Borawski & Małgorzata Łatuszyńska, 2022. "Effectiveness of Electricity-Saving Communication Campaigns: Neurophysiological Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-19, February.
    8. Coyne, Bryan & Denny, Eleanor, 2021. "Retrofit effectiveness: Evidence from a nationwide residential energy efficiency programme," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    9. Bobrova, Yekatherina & Papachristos, George & Chiu, Lai Fong, 2021. "Homeowner low carbon retrofits: Implications for future UK policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    10. Kendel, Adnane & Lazaric, Nathalie & Maréchal, Kevin, 2017. "What do people ‘learn by looking’ at direct feedback on their energy consumption? Results of a field study in Southern France," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 593-605.
    11. Goedkoop, F. & Dijkstra, J. & Flache, A., 2022. "A social network perspective on involvement in community energy initiatives: The role of direct and extended social ties to initiators," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    12. Zhao, Dong-Xue & He, Bao-Jie & Johnson, Christine & Mou, Ben, 2015. "Social problems of green buildings: From the humanistic needs to social acceptance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1594-1609.
    13. Matthew Collins & John Curtis, 2017. "Value for money in energy efficiency retrofits in Ireland: grant provider and grant recipients," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(51), pages 5245-5267, November.
    14. Revell, Kristy, 2014. "Estimating the environmental impact of home energy visits and extent of behaviour change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 461-470.
    15. Kajsa Ellegård & Jenny Palm, 2015. "Who Is Behaving? Consequences for Energy Policy of Concept Confusion," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-20, July.
    16. Waitt, Gordon & Roggeveen, Kate & Gordon, Ross & Butler, Katherine & Cooper, Paul, 2016. "Tyrannies of thrift: Governmentality and older, low-income people’s energy efficiency narratives in the Illawarra, Australia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 37-45.
    17. Brummer, Vasco, 2018. "Community energy – benefits and barriers: A comparative literature review of Community Energy in the UK, Germany and the USA, the benefits it provides for society and the barriers it faces," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 187-196.
    18. Coyne, Bryan & Lyons, Sean & McCoy, Daire, 2016. "The Effects of Home Energy Efficiency Upgrades on Social Housing Tenants: Evidence from Ireland," Papers WP544, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    19. Francesca Cellina & Dominik Bucher & José Veiga Simão & Roman Rudel & Martin Raubal, 2019. "Beyond Limitations of Current Behaviour Change Apps for Sustainable Mobility: Insights from a User-Centered Design and Evaluation Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-26, April.
    20. Azalia Mohamed & Zelina Zaiton Ibrahim & Abu Daud Silong & Ramdzani Abdullah, 2016. "Distributed Leadership in a Low-Carbon City Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-21, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:127:y:2019:i:c:p:475-485. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.