LEEDR: Low Effort Energy Demand Reduction (Part 2 of the Call)

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Climate change is a problem that threatens the world and is caused by the release of greenhouse gas emissions, such as Carbon Dioxide from burning fuels like gas and oil. Our dwellings in the UK consume 30% of the country's total energy demand and so that we can reduce the environmental impact of our lifestyles and create greater energy security by consuming less, the UK Government has laid out a road map of measures that will deliver a zero carbon (or as close as possible) housing stock by 2050, affecting all homes in the UK.A key step on the way to 2050 is the installation of so-called 'smart-meters', which the Government has decided will be rolled out to every house in the UK by 2030. These meters will deliver much greater information to both energy providers and householders. These meters will mean more accurate and transparent billing and should stimulate a more competitive energy market, which would benefit consumers. This greater level of information about how we use energy in and around the home can help us understand where we are wasteful and can tolerate a reduction in consumption and when and where changing our habits and/or lifestyle is not acceptable.What is not understood fully is the relationship between the householder and their preferences and tolerances to change and the sorts of pressures and constraints placed on the energy providers for energy production. Today we enjoy the luxury of having as much energy as we want on demand 24hours a day, but increased reliance on renewable sources, such as wind turbines, combined with a need to reduce our consumption as a nation is likely to mean that more flexible supply and generation systems will become more common and this will have implications for how we use energy in the home. We need to find new ways to help us understand how and where we can reduce our consumption without unacceptable impact on our lifestyles. One way to do this is by understanding how everyday practices in the home (including the use of digital media) result in the consumption of energy and how these practices may change in the future because of societal trends ( e.g. the aging population, remote working, broadband in every home) and then to see how this information can offer opportunities to develop products and services that are attractive to the householder and that have a real impact on energy consumption in the home.The challenges are both technological and sociological and so this research brings together academic experts in the fields of social science, user interface design, product design, building modelling and energy consumption, systems engineering and computer science with householders, energy providers and business to focus on the issue of using digital technology for reducing energy demand in the home. This team contends that in order to develop ways in which householders can reduce their energy consumption significantly, with relatively little effort on their part, the needs of the user must be understood in the wider context of a changing energy landscape and that this can lead to the development of new ideas that can be developed into business opportunities that benefit the UK economy.