Smarter homes: Experiences of living in low carbon homes 2013-2018

Reid, Louise (2019). Smarter homes: Experiences of living in low carbon homes 2013-2018. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-853485

With growing concerns about climate change and energy security, how we use energy in the UK is receiving more attention than ever before. The way in which we use energy in our homes has been at the forefront of this attention (Lovell 2004) given recent high-profile recognition that it constitutes 24% of carbon emissions in the UK (Stern 2006). There have therefore been many attempts to try and reduce the amount of energy used in our homes, for instance, through the introduction of domestic energy-efficiency infrastructure, technology and appliances (Hand et al., 2007).
The desire to make our homes as efficient as possible and reduce the amount of carbon used per home has resulted in the UK government, like many other governments around the world, developing a low carbon strategy. Low carbon is a relatively new term used to describe activities that have a minimal output of greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide, and governments have developed sophisticated policies to deliver new low carbon economies (While et al., 2010). Accordingly, low carbon housing is that which has a minimal output of carbon dioxide and the term is used to describe a wide range of housing types, for instance, those which meet or exceed specific environmental standards (e.g. UK Code for Sustainable Homes), for example passiv houses.
However, recent research indicates that although the energy efficiency of homes has risen steadily over the last 30 years, there has not been a reduction in domestic energy consumption (McManus et al., 2010, Steg & Vlek 2009). So, for example, despite the installation of technology like loft and cavity wall insulation and low-energy appliances, households are using ever more energy. In addition, research has demonstrated that occupants of low carbon homes often find methods to bypass low carbon solutions (e.g. installing radiators or removing devices which impeed the flow of hot water in the shower) in order to prevent the curtailment of their activities (Gill et al., 2010). This phenomena is called the 'rebound effect' where any savings made in energy use are less than the expected savings because householders adapt their behaviour.
As such, it has been argued that the focus of funding and research should not simply rest on developing more 'technological' solutions to energy efficiency, but instead, that more resources should be directed towards understanding why this rebound effect occurs by exploring the behaviours or experiences of householders who live in low carbon homes. To do so, this project will work with 50 households who live in low carbon homes across 5 fieldwork sites (3 in the UK, 2 in the Netherlands).

Data description (abstract)

Interview transcripts from the ‘Smarter Homes’ project, a research project which explored experiences of living in low carbon homes. The aim of the project was to better understand how domestic low carbon technology influences energy demand and consumption, in particular the experience of living with micro-generation heating systems. The data were self-reported and collected using an online journal over the course of seven days in the winter of 2016. The research participants were UK and Dutch householders of different ages.

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