aspire housing count us in pilot - final report april...

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Aspire Housing Count Us In pilot - Final report April 2014

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Contents

Background to pilot 3 Executive Summary 4 Recruiting households to the pilot 6 Behavioural interventions 10 Results and outcomes 16 Programme delivery 23 Conclusions and recommendations 25

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Background to the pilot Aspire Housing was created in January 2000 through the transfer of Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council’s housing stock and currently provides more than 20,000 customers in 9,000 homes with quality affordable accommodation and services across North Staffordshire and South Cheshire. Our properties and service offer reflects the varied needs of our customers and includes general needs housing for rent, shared ownership, supported housing, extra care and a range of services to help older and vulnerable people to live independently. We are committed to supporting our customers in reducing their energy usage, and to reducing the carbon footprint of the Aspire Group. Our pilot focuses on supporting older, vulnerable customers living within our sheltered housing stock to reduce their energy consumption on an ongoing basis. Developing appropriate support networks and methodologies will become increasingly important as this customer group will only continue to grow in coming years. We worked with three schemes in urban areas within the Borough of Newcastle under Lyme. One sheltered scheme had recently benefited from some renewal technology installations, which we hypothesised would provide an interesting comparison in terms of households interest in energy usage, when compared to households with traditional gas central heating.

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Executive Summary Location Newcastle under Lyme Partners Beat the Cold Key methods tested Home visits, communal events, top tips leaflet

To avoid under-heating residents adopted a zonal approach to controlling temperature and off-set their consumption by better using the free electricity from the PV.” Continual reinforcement of simple messages worked best. Involving scheme managers was key to getting buy-in and maintaining engagement.

What we noticed Many residents started the pilot with

good habits. However, 96% of participants reported making at least one change in their habits.

Participants consumed an average of 36% less energy than the control group. But consumptions levels varied.

Maintaining comfort and health were the main barriers to change.

The most common changes related to heating control.

Despite use of a heating timer increasing, many residents also reported heating being on for long periods of the day, suggesting the timer was overridden in cold weather.

9,300

1,700

14,0001,500

1,600

2,400

Highfield Kent Grove Control

Average energy useGas/PV Grid electricity

Who we worked with 54 elderly residents living in two

sheltered housing schemes. Most homes were one bedroom

bungalows clustered around a community centre.

One scheme is off-gas and retrofitted with PV and air source heat pumps.

The second scheme has gas central heating.

Many participants were living with a long-term health condition.

What we did We focused on appliance use and

ensuring residents understood their heating controls and energy bills.

Residents were initially engaged through a series of home visits during which we assessed their usage patterns and provided tailored advice.

We also ran a series of communal events, tailored specially for an older audience. Events were timed to coincide with existing planned social activities.

Residents were given a short top tips leaflet.

Scheme managers were closely involved in the delivery of engagement and received in-house energy efficiency training.

How much it cost Total cost £27,300 Total staff time: 65 days

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Some residents turned their thermostat down while others turned it up. Overall most set their temperature over 20°C.

Many residents started controlling heating room by room, with use of TRVs and closing of doors increasing.

Many residents struggled to remember to always turn appliances off standby, particularly in the later stages of the pilot.

Some preferred to keep lights on for safety and security reasons.

What worked Constant reinforcement of simple key

messages. Recent retrofit works, in particular the

early savings experienced from the PV, helped get buy-in from residents eager to see what additional savings they could make.

Engagement helped residents time their appliance use to get the most savings from the PV system.

Residents valued the personal approach of the home visits, in particular the opportunity to have more personal conversations.

Residents were particularly vulnerable to the cold weather. Our focus on room-by-room control and appliance use helped off-set the demand placed on heating during the cold winter.

Involving scheme managers in the engagement was key to getting participation from residents. They were always on-hand to give informal advice and troubleshoot problems.

Tagging group events onto existing social activities and having them in a doorstep location improved attendance.

What didn’t work It quickly became apparent that some

residents did not feel comfortable sharing personal information. As such we introduced more home visits and used group events to give advice and encourage a feel-good factor around involvement.

Many control group households became concerned they were missing out on saving energy and chose to drop out of the pilot.

Despite much interest, only six households managed to switch tariff. Switching took considerable time and support by staff.

The vulnerable nature of residents made it difficult for them to attend events in the middle of winter.

Next steps We are in the process of training front-

line staff across the organisation to enable them to give basic energy efficiency advice to residents.

We are planning to build Green Champions into our wider volunteer led support programme, to give residents the tools to deliver energy efficiency support to their neighbours.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Under-heating

Heating on constantly

Use of TRVs

Uses portable heater

Switches off lights

Switches off appliances

Boil only water needed

Behaviour Change

End of pilot Start of pilot

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Recruiting households to the pilot

The recruitment process Recruitment of residents to the pilot began in December 2011. Working with colleagues from our Independent Living Team we approached customers from three sheltered schemes of broadly the same archetype to take part in the pilot. Each household was visited individually by the scheme managers who introduced the project and gauged interest. Almost all households within the targeted schemes agreed to take part, although in some cases stated their involvement was impeded by medical and physical vulnerabilities. This resulted in some households not being able to complete surveys or take part in the group/peer based activities The main message we used to encourage sign-up was a focus on minimising energy use to reduce the amount of household income spent on energy costs. Breakdown of recruitment rate for each location The team managed to recruit a total of 54 residents across the two schemes. A further 29 were recruited from Derber Close to act as a control group. Total approached Total uptake Kent Grove 29 27 Highfield Grange 31 27 Derber Close (control group) 30 29 Profile of households involved All three schemes comprise of mainly one bedroom sheltered housing bungalows, located in urban areas within the Borough of Newcastle under Lyme. Each bungalow is of a similar age, thermal efficiency rating and all are effectively insulated. Most residents are aged 65 or over, are living with a long-term health condition and reported being home for large parts of the day.

Scheme Sizes Age Heating System

SAP Rating

% aged over 65

% aged over 75

% with long-term health condition

Kent Grove

28 x one-bedroom 1 x two-bedroom

1973 Air source heat pump (off-gas).

73 85% 21% 50%

Highfield Grange

26 x one-bedroom 5 x two-bedroom

1960s Gas central heating.

70-74 87% 63% 66%

Durber Close

27 x one bedroom 3 x two-bedroom

1963 – 1974

Gas central heating.

67-74 82% 59% 50%

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All bungalows have their own lounge and kitchen but share communal laundry facilities. Each scheme also has a community room/centre and a scheme manager who undertakes regular visits to residents. Retrofit works at Kent Grove This scheme is off-gas with little opportunity for connection to the gas network. In February 2012 the outdated electric storage heaters in each bungalow were replaced with Daikin Monobloc Air Source Heat Pumps and internal radiator systems controlled by thermal radiator valves and a central thermostat and timer. The fit out was completed by the end of March 2012. As part of the retrofit, the scheme also benefited from the installation 2kw photo-voltaic arrays in 2011, which supplies electricity to each bungalow. Energy generation is monitored remotely by a GSM enabled meter. Loft insulation was also topped up to 270mm as part of retrofit. Kent Grove

Highfield Grange

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Durber Close

Drop-outs Despite some gaps in households attending activities and providing monitoring data, there have been no official drop outs from the pilot group. However, seven households not provide complete either mid-point or end of pilot questionnaires so it is possible these stopped engaging. There have also been occasions of households being reluctant to engage due to cold-calling from external companies selling energy efficiency advice/technologies that were not part of the pilot. This was in part due to the Government's Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) and Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) funding schemes expiring at the end of 2012 and the drive for some organisations linked to these scheme to meet their targets. Households in the control group also began to drop out from January 2013 onwards, with no meter readings able to be obtained at the end of the pilot. These households did not want to take part any further as they felt they were missing out on the energy efficiency savings being offered to the pilot households, this was despite the control group being promised to receive engagement following completion of the pilot. Lessons learnt:

In nearly all circumstances, customers took part because they were interested in minimising their fuel costs, however were concerned about compromising their comfort.

At Kent Grove, the recent retrofit works were a useful platform for engaging people. A number of households had identified savings following the installation of a PV/ASHPs and were interested to see what else they could do to save energy.

Personal engagement with the customers was key to ensuring customer sign up. Initially we intended to provide a presentation to a wider group, however advice from colleagues directed us towards a one-two-one route, which although time consuming ensured a greater buy-in.

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Involving scheme managers was also important to successful take-up. They had established rapport and trust with residents and were on hand to support residents and answer any follow up queries. Had we not had the existing relationships we may have struggled to get the numbers signed up and keep them involved.

Residents were put off by external companies cold-calling them to offer help with reducing their energy bills. This required us to undertake more liaison than expected to ensure they stay involved in the project.

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Ways we encouraged behaviour change Engagement activity began in April 2012 and ran for 18 months until September 2013. The engagement comprised a mixture of communal scheme based events and one-to-one activities. The main focus of the advice was in relation to heating control and appliance use. A timeline of activity is set out below. Timeline of engagement activity

2012 2013

APR MAY

JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV

DEC JAN FEB MAR

APR MAY

JUN JUL AUG

SEP OCT

One-to-one sessions

Communal events

Top-tips (& leaflet)

Staff training

Meter readings Staff training Our Environmental Sustainability Officer has received NEA City and Guilds 6176 Home Energy Efficiency training. The two scheme managers who supported the pilot also received receive in-house training in February 2012.

Communal events It was originally planned to conduct most of the engagement through group activities. We worked in partnership with local charity Beat The Cold to deliver a series of events in the communal areas of each scheme. Sessions were timed to coincide with existing planned social activities, such as bingo, and scheme luncheons. It was hoped this would make it easier to get attendance from residents on an ongoing basis. Each session was themed as follows:

What is a Watt – short activity designed to compare the energy use of appliances in the home and the potential costs of leaving appliances running when not in use.

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Understanding your bills – Help with reading and understanding bills. Tariff switching - A demonstration was delivered by a Home Energy Advisor

from Beat the Cold. Each group was presented with the benefits of tariff switching including an estimate of the savings they could make. Residents were given the option of one-to-one support with the switching process. All households at Kent Grove were given switching advice prior to the installation of new meters in March/April 2012, although not all households took up the offer. However this was reinforced again during the Count Us In activity. At Highfield Grange, there were a number of customers who had not looked at switching previously, believing that it would be of more benefit to ‘stay loyal’ to their energy providers. After the initial group session, 6 households requested 1-2-1 sessions to go through their individual options. The Home Energy Advisor provided on-going to support to ensure the switches were completed successfully, as it was recognised that for the 6 households in question had not switched energy provider before.

Top-tips – sessions focusing on short clear messages for saving energy around the home.

See Green – This took place in summer 2013 and focused on appliance use. It was delivered with the help of Staffordshire University as part of the dissemination of learning from their pan-European ‘See-Green’ project, which focused on supporting older households to minimise their energy use. The session made use of materials and activities specially created for this age group (a copy of which is included in Appendix 1) and included lunch and energy themed prizes. The event was well received by both schemes, which may have been due to receiving the advice from ‘fresh’ faces, and the energy themed prizes on offer.

Sessions were also used as an opportunity to promote one-to-one activities in residents’ homes. A buffet lunch/afternoon tea was used as an incentive to attend the sessions during the winter months, where it was felt inclement weather may have deterred households from attending. The group sessions have been well attended, aided by the fact they took place following existing social activities. At the end of the pilot, 83% of residents listed the advice given through the sessions as a major reason for changing their behaviour. The advice and support from beat The Cold was also identified as a factor by 17% of residents.

Customers discussing the collective switching with a member of the Aspire team.

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Collective Switching In spring 2013, Aspire took part in a DECC funded collective energy switching project which targeted fuel-poor and vulnerable households across the country. Although there were strict time restrictions due to the project being externally funded, the opportunity was taken to invite pilot households to take part in the scheme, which also included some general energy saving advice. Three households from Kent Grove took part in the full process and switched provider. In terms of learning, collective switching programmes need a significant amount of lead in time to capture and maintain household interest – although a number of households did sign up, including more from the pilot schemes, without a constant flow of information, it is difficult to sustain their involvement. One-to-one engagement Home visits were intended to reinforce key messages from group events. It quickly became apparent that some participants were uncomfortable sharing personal information in groups. As such the engagement programme was revised to include more one-to-one home visits. Visits could last up to an hour depending on the subject and the vulnerability of the household, but were opportunities to assess household usage patterns and enabled advice to be tailored to suit the particular circumstances and health needs of each resident.

Understanding Your Heating Controls – Although initially run as a group event in the summer of 2012 this activity was repeated in the winter as part of home visits when it was deemed it would have most impact. Time was taken to give customers a demonstration in their own homes on how to use their thermostats and thermostatic radiator values to maximise thermal comfort and minimise wastage. The activity was particularly important for Kent Grove customers, given that the new heating system was operated very differently to the previous electric storage heaters.

How to Read your Meter and bills – Delivered by a Home Energy Advisor from Beat the Cold. Although initially developed to be a group activity, it became quite clear that the groups were not ready to share private billing/usage information; therefore we quickly adapted the session to be carried out in customers’ homes.

Residents were more comfortable in discussing personal information in this setting and felt they were able to build more of a rapport with the advisor. Although this can be identified as one of the more robust methods of conveying information and support, it is recognised that this is a more expensive method. Going forward, where we will look to replicate similar activities, we will look to build advice and support into existing work streams and more cost effective delivery mechanisms.

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Jules Hill from Beat the Cold offering advice to a resident.

Top-tips This has been an on-going activity of delivering short and clear messages around minimising energy usage and informally supports the activities above. Tips were delivered through home visits and at group events. A short, pictorial leaflet was also prepared setting out simple and easy changes residents could make to control their energy use. This was left with each household to reinforce key messages (a copy is included in Appendix B) and was well received by residents, who noted the simplicity of the messages and not being overawed by information or data.

Top Tips leaflet

Other planned engagement We have investigated the potential to recruit a Green Champion at both schemes, and we are now in the process of building this into a wider volunteer based energy

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advice scheme we are currently developing with a range of partners to support the wider, North Staffordshire community Lessons learnt:

Given the nature of the vulnerable customer group involved in the pilot, we needed to be flexible in how the advice was delivered.

Residents in both pilot schemes were not comfortable discussing personal details or energy usage within a large group. We therefore needed to revise our delivery method to include more one-to-one sessions where households could ask more personal questions in confidence.

Group sessions at which advice was given were more successful, as residents did not feel under pressure to talk about personal details. The Top Tips sessions were well received and provided an opportunity to drip-feed and reinforce key messages to residents.

Tariff switching had the most initial impact and interest, given the clear financial gains that could be demonstrated. However for vulnerable households looking to switch for the first time, this can require more support and time.

Timing communal events to coincide with existing social events helped maximise attendance. Having the events in the communal spaces within each scheme also helped overcome issues with regards to booking and paying for an external venue.

The close relationship with each Scheme Manager has been a real advantage to the project. They have been able to offer low key, informal advice during support visits and have been able to help households who were becoming increasingly disengaged to maintain their interest in the activities. At the end of the pilot, 13% of residents identified the support they received from the scheme manager as the reason for making a change to their behaviour.

Kent Grove residents were particularly receptive to advice and tips on using their new heating system, which was operated differently to the previous storage heating system.

Although we did look to introduce Green Champions to each scheme, given some of the vulnerabilities of the households involved, we are now looking to build this informal support structure into a wider volunteer led support programme aimed at offering energy efficiency support.

Cold calling from external companies put some residents off engaging as they felt hassled. The calls were possibly due to the fact Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and the Community Energy Saving Programme were coming to a close at the end of 2012 and companies were looking to dispense with their carbon quota. Although these calls did reduce, there is potential that with future energy price increase, initiatives such as the Green Deal could drive similar cold calling practices commencing once again.

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Results and Outcomes Headline results

96% of participants reported making at least one change in their behaviour; most commonly to heating control.

Maintaining comfort and health were identified as the main barriers to change.

Consumption levels amongst the pilot households varied, but were 34% lower on average than the control group. However Highfield Grange residents used more energy compared to the previous year. This could be the result of the relatively cold winter during the pilot.

There is also some evidence that savings were slow to embed, with Highfield residents using on average 10% less in the last year of the pilot compared to the first twelve months.

The retrofit works at Kent Grove have helped residents cut down on their energy use and bills. The engagement activity has helped residents become more adept at using the free energy provided by the PV array.

Despite most residents reporting use of a heater timer, heating tended to be left on for long periods of the day. Residents also preferred to manually control temperature. However this could have been mitigated by residents also became better at controlling temperature on a room by room basis.

Most residents reported being comfortable in their homes, with just 6% saying they “put up with the cold”. Portable heater use also fell.

Residents found it difficult to remember to always turn their appliances off standby, with the TV being the biggest challenge.

How we monitored impact Consumption data was collected through meter readings. Data was collected quarterly during the pilot. However as noted above, control group households began dropping out of the pilot from January 2013 onwards. As such we do not have a complete set of control group data. For this reason, comparisons between the control group and pilot households are based on the first twelve months of the pilot, for which data is most complete. Historic consumption data is also available for households for the nine months prior to the pilot starting. This has also been used to inform our conclusions. When analysing the results it is important to consider that although there are trends in the data, the sample size is relatively small and so should be interpreted with care. Despite this, the data is still helpful in suggesting what worked and where future engagement activity and research should focus. Changes in energy use The table below compares energy use across households. Pilot households have used less energy on average that the control group, however consumption levels varied considerably across households. Consumption at Kent Grove is considerably low. This highlights the impact the retrofit; in particular the ASHPs, has had on reducing energy needed for heating.

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Gas use (primarily for heating) comprises the bulk (almost 90%) of consumption for the remaining two schemes. Kent Grove residents also benefit from free electricity from the on-site PV arrays, which generated an average of 1,700kWh for each household. Maximising the use of this free energy will keep the need for grid electricity down. Comparison of household energy use (April 2012 – April 2013)

Mean (kWh)

Range (kWh) Median (kWh)

Households counted

Kent Grove (off-gas)

From grid 1,600 1,100 – 2,400 1,600 27 From PV 1,700 1,500 – 1,800 1,700 27 TOTAL 3,300 2,800 – 4,100 3,300 27

Highfield Grange

Electricity 1,500 700 – 2,900 1,400 23 Gas 9,300 4,100 – 20,300 9,100 23 TOTAL 10,800 5,400 – 21,400 10,400 23

Durber Close

Electricity 2,400 800 – 4,800 2,200 21 Gas 14,000 5,100 – 30,900 14,500 21 TOTAL 16,400 7,400 – 33,200 16,800 21

NB: Data is rounded to the nearest 100kWh. Comparing Highfield Grange and Durber Close, the pilot group used an average of 34% less than the control group over the first year of the pilot. The average consumption across households in these two schemes was 13,400kWh, which is about average for social housing bungalows and low by national standards1. 74% of properties at Highfield Grange had consumption below this level, compared with 43% at Durber Close. The differences in consumption between the control group and Highfield Grange suggest the engagement has had an impact. However, this trend is not evident when comparing each group’s consumption with their energy use in the year before the pilot began. Comparison of 2011 and 2012 winter energy consumption.

Average consumption (kWh)

Range of change

Average change

Kent Grove

10/11 – 4/12 2,800 Saving of 18% to 69%

Saving of 48% 10/12 – 4/13 1,400

Highfield Grange

10/11 – 4/12 5,900 Increase of 14% to 58%

Increase of 26% 10/12 – 4/13 7,300

Durber Close

10/11 – 4/12 7,200 Increase of 9% to 22%

Increase of 16% 10/12 – 4/13 8,300

NB: Data is rounded to the nearest 100kWh.

1 The average annual consumption for social housing bungalows is 3,100kWh for electricity and 10,400kWh for gas (DECC, 2013, “NEED data”).This is low by national standards. Ofgem estimate that low consuming households use an average of 9,000kWh of gas and 2,000kWh of electricity (Ofgem,2013,“Typical domestic consumption figures”).

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Residents of Highfield Grange and Durber Close consumed more during the winter of 2012/13 compared to the previous winter. Highfield Grange had the highest increase on average (26%). Much of this increase could be attributed to the severity of the winter during the pilot period compared to 2011/12 which lasted much longer. DECC estimates the colder winter increased consumption by as much as 20% on average2. Older residents and those with long-term health conditions are likely to be particularly impacted by colder temperatures3 as was identified through some off surveys and informal conversations where some residents needed to leave windows open due to respiratory problems. Taking this into account, 43% of residents at Highfield Grange used more energy during the pilot than the previous year, compared to 21% in Durber Close. Reasons for this are unclear, though could be an anomaly caused by the small sample size or may be the result of the engagement helping residents become more confident using their heating and ensuring a comfortable and effective temperature was maintained. Despite having a higher average rise in consumption, consumption in Highfield Grange remained lower than Durber Close in both years. Given the similarity in dwelling type, size and SAP rating between schemes, occupant behaviour is likely to be a factor. It is possible that a higher proportion of residents at Durber Close have long-term health conditions relating to mobility when compared with Highfield Grange and therefore higher energy needs. This is suggested by the fact that gas use varies much more significantly amongst Durber Close residents than Highfield Grange. By contrast to Highfield Grange and Durber Close, residents at Kent Grove saved an average of 48% during the pilot compared to the previous winter. The size of this saving is likely to be down to the installation of the ASHP, as well as any changes in behaviour, including residents making better use of the free electricity generated by the PV. The analysis above relates to the first year of the pilot. The data available for the last 12 months of the pilot (October 2012 to October 2013) indicates that Highfield residents’ consumption declined towards the end of the pilot. Consumption was on average 9% lower compared to the first 12 months of the pilot, with almost all households consuming less (the savings varied from 3% to 43% less). This could be linked to warmer temperatures at the end of the pilot combined with the engagement activity towards the end of the pilot having more of an impact than that delivered at the start of the pilot. More monitoring is required to determine the long term impact of the summer interventions. By contrast, consumption levels amongst Kent Grove residents was consistent across the pilot, though there were individual fluctuations amongst households. 2 DECC, June 2013, “DECC Special Feature – effect of cold 2012/13 winter on energy bills”). 3 In their responses to the household questionnaire, many residents reported their health played a major role in energy use and habits.

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Impact on bills Most residents (84%) paid for their energy by direct debit. However there was a lack of knowledge amongst participants about how much they were spending and how much energy they were using, with only a small number regularly monitoring their usage and expenditure. Therefore we have estimated spend on energy bills by applying DECC estimates of average tariff costs4 to consumption levels. Not surprisingly given the consumption data, there is considerable variation in spending on energy across households. Overall, pilot households spent less on their energy than the control households. Kent Grove residents spent an average of £265 on their bills, highlighting the positive impact that renewable heat and electricity generation can have on bills. By contrast, Highfield Grange residents spent an average of £710 (£250 on electricity and £465 on gas) and Durber Close residents spent an average of £1,020 (£365 on electricity and £655 on gas). Six residents switched their energy tariff during the pilot period. This required some significant support to ‘hand hold’ residents who were switching for the first time. In the case of one resident at Kent Grove this required three separate support visits, mainly due to complications with dealing with the energy supplier. There are obvious financial benefits to this, with savings of between £60 and £173 being identified. One household also received a refund of £386 as they were not aware their balance was in credit.

Changes in household behaviour

Changes in behaviour were measured using a household questionnaire. Response rates throughout the pilot were as follows:

Baseline: 54 residents responded (out of 54) Mid-pilot: 53 residents (out of 54) End of pilot: 51 residents (out of 54)

One problem with using questionnaires to measure change in behaviour is that they are a self-reporting tool. There may be differences in how customers interpret questions or in how they recall their behaviour over the previous few months. There is also a risk that people answer based on what they think they should say rather than reflecting on their actual behaviour. Nevertheless we believe the data provides a valuable insight into customers’ attitudes and approaches to managing energy in the home. The next few sections set out our key observations. How many reported a changed in their behaviour? At the start of the pilot 90% of residents reported having previously attempted to save energy; most commonly relating to switching off lights and appliances and only heating one room at a time. This posed a challenge as to whether there was further scope for any further savings amongst these households without impacting

4 DECC, March 2013, “Average variable unit costs and fixed costs for electricity/gas for selected towns and cities in the UK (QEP 2.2.4 and QEP 2.3.4)”

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on comfort or quality of life, particularly given the vulnerability of many of the participants. However, by the end of the pilot 96% of participants identified at least one change in their behaviour. 77% of residents reported they made an improvement to the way they kept warm. 60% reported improving their appliance use and 40% reported getting better at switching off lights. Specific changes mentioned by participants were:

Began to ensure heating only comes on when needed: 60% Better at switching off lights: 48% Close curtains, windows, doors/heat only rooms needed: 46% Started using thermostat/TRVs to control temperature: 44% Make use of PV energy: 44% (Kent Grove residents only) Not leaving appliances on standby: 35% Boil only water needed: 24% Track energy use through bills: 12% Turned thermostat down: 11% Started to use a drying rack instead of radiator: 9%

Fears about compromising personal comfort (84%) and health (34%) were cited as barriers to making further changes. Observed behaviour changes: Heating use Comparing questionnaire responses from the beginning and end of the pilot, it is clear that use of the central heating timer was high at the start of the pilot (75% of participants). Those who didn’t use a timer cited lack of confidence operating the controls as the main barrier. At the end of the pilot 90% of residents stated they used their heating timer. However, a high proportion of these (52%) also reported having the heating “on constantly” (down from 61% at mid-pilot). Informal feedback from residents suggest that although timers are used, they override the settings during acute cold periods of weather. Residents also tended to be home for longer periods of the day. Amongst the ASHP residents at Kent Grove, all those who responded to the question reported setting their heating on timer, 57% reported the heating being on all the time. Although more efficient than night storage heaters, ASHPs do provide a lower heat output and therefore are operated for longer periods to maintain a comfortable required temperature. Despite an increase in the use of the thermostat, the data suggests that many residents manually adjust their heating temperature as needed to achieve desired level of comfort. At the end of the pilot just 12% reported keeping the thermostat on a constant setting. This may not be the most effective way to use the system, especially if residents are turning up the heating in an attempt to more quickly heat their homes on cold days5. 5 At the start of the pilot 23% of residents reported using their thermostat in this way. It is not clear from the data how many continued to employ this strategy at the end of the pilot.

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Temperature settings were generally within the range of 17°C to 24°C (with an average temperature of 21°C). The proportion of households under-heating (setting their temperature below 18°C) was 2% at the end of the pilot. At the time of the last questionnaire, 43% of households had their thermostat set to a lower temperature than when the baseline questionnaire was completed (an average of 3°C lower to 20.5°C). 20% had their thermostat on a higher setting (an average of 2°C to 21.5°C).

There was a marked increase in the proportion of residents controlling their temperature using the TRVs, from 19% at the start of the pilot to 59% by its end. At the end of the pilot 55% of residents also reported they had set their TRVs lower in rooms used less. There was also an increase in in the use of doors and curtains to control heating of individual rooms. This suggests residents became better equipped at controlling temperature in different rooms, mitigating some of the impact of higher temperature settings and/or the heating being on for long periods of time.

A range of other behaviours were also reported which would have reduced reliance on central heating use. By the end of the pilot, the proportion of households who felt they had to put up with feeling cold was 6%.Portable heater use declined from 8% to 2% at the end of the pilot.

Observed behaviour changes: Appliance use Lighting behaviour improved over the course of the pilot, with 73% of participants reporting they always switched off lights when leaving a room (up from 55% at the start of the pilot). Tackling lighting behaviour was challenging because a large number of residents indicated during the advice sessions that they preferred to leave some lights on to provide comfort and security. Given this, future interventions may also need to look at promoting more efficient forms of lighting such as LED, although there are associated replacement costs. Appliance use was more variable and some residents did not maintain their behaviour changes over the course of the pilot. The proportion of residents always

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

I set theheating timer

My heating ison constantly

I set thethermostat

Under-heating I use TRVs I put up withthe cold

I use aportableheater

Heating use

Start of pilot End of pilot

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turning their appliances off standby peaked at 52% at the middle of the pilot (from a base of 38%) before declining slightly to 47%. This was matched by an increase in those who reported only sometimes switching their appliances off standby, from 27% at mid-pilot to 38% at its end. It seems that the mixed results could be due to residents finding it difficult to keep TVs off standby as opposed to other appliances. The proportion of residents unplugging chargers when not in use increased from 35% at the start of the pilot, to 57% at the end. This behaviour seems to have taken some time to become embedded as the proportion of those who reported only sometimes remembering to unplug their chargers grew at mid-point, before tailing off again. There was a modest increase in the proportion of residents boiling only the water they needed, from 60% at the start of the pilot to 76% by its end.

Observed behaviour changes: Laundry habits Each of the sheltered schemes has communal washing facilities so any changes in behaviour would not be reflected in households’ bills or consumption. When asked, most residents could not recall the temperature at which they washed their laundry. This could be partly due to some residents getting assistance with the laundry. However it is also possible that as residents do not get directly charged for their use of the communal laundry, they are less inclined to keep track of their use and behaviour. The most common method of drying clothes was on a drying rack. This increased over the course of the pilot, from 72% of participants at the start, to 90% at its end. By contrast, drying outside declined from 92% of residents to 55% at the end of the pilot. This may well be due to weather over the course of the pilot, or an initial over-estimation by residents. Tumble dryer usage was low, at 12% of households, which reflects the more vulnerable nature of the residents involved in the pilots.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

I always switchlights off

I always turnappliances off

standby

I unplug chargers I only boil the waterI need

Appliance use

Start of pilot Mid pilot End of pilot

22

Programme delivery We had to overcome a number of challenges running the pilot and delivering engagement activity to our residents:

Apathy amongst some customers at Highfield Grange at the start of the project was surprising given their early interest. However after investigation it was clear the issues were being driven by outside organisations cold-calling residents looking for potential business opportunities. The strong relationships already in existence between residents and scheme managers ensured these issues were identified and managed quickly.

Working with vulnerable residents with a mixture of physical and mental health support needs has been challenging. This had a direct impact on their energy needs and in particular the need to maintain a warm home and meant we had to be careful with our messaging. However, throughout the programme there has been positive feedback from households, who are aware of the need to maintain a warm/comfortable temperature in their home.

Early on in the pilot we had to change our approach to incorporate more one-to-one engagement than initially planned. Although this method does encourage more positive results with advice being tailored to the individual, this was time consuming. Involving scheme managers and the local Beat The Cold charity was key to managing this intensive engagement.

Maintaining momentum over 18 months, particularly in winter months, has proved to be challenging given the vulnerable nature of some residents, which made it difficult for them to attend events.

Throughout the project there have been instances of households not fully engaging and taking the view that they were fully aware of how to manage their energy usage, potentially due to a mind-set of already being financially prudent.

It has taken many repeated attempts to manually collect monitoring information from residents. The age and vulnerability of residents meant many struggled to provide detailed information.

The perception amongst control group households that they were missing out on energy savings and social activities led them to dropping out of the project. In future we would consider alternate ways of monitoring impact so that data could potentially be recorded remotely, and compensating control group households for not receiving engagement until the end of the pilot.

Staff changes have also affected delivery. In our initial pilot proposal, we identified an experienced member of staff to undertake delivery of the advice sessions. However we had not accounted for the potential of them taking up a new employment opportunity. Although this left a potential void with regards to delivering the pilot, we were able to call upon a local fuel poverty charity to provide the advice sessions. In order to expand the knowledge of our front line staff, we are in the process of training colleagues throughout the organisation to ensure they are confident in providing basic energy efficiency advice to a range of customers.

23

Costs Costs to deliver the pilot were as follows:

Item Cost Details

Staff time £15,000 65 days spent by staff planning, delivering and monitoring the project.

Staff Training £1,000 Informal advice session and guidance delivered by Beat the Cold Home Energy Advisor

See Green advice Sessions £1,000 2 sessions delivered by Staffordshire University

Advice Sessions (Beat the Cold) £7,000 Delivery of group and personal advice sessions

with households involved in the project

Marketing and communication £800

Miscellaneous materials such as design and printing of posters to advertise events and general energy efficiency advice t.

Subsistence/travel costs £1,000

Costs associated with attending project advisory group meetings and delivery of sessions.

Project management £1,500 Overall administration of the project

TOTAL £27,300

24

Conclusions and recommendations Our key lessons from the projects are:

Working with vulnerable consumers has required us to be flexible with our engagement and focus on under-heating.

Saving money was the main driver for behaviour change. Personal comfort and health were the main barriers.

Residents were home for much of the day and due to associated vulnerabilities reported leaving their heating on for long periods. Focusing on efficient ways of staying warm was therefore important, including room by room control of heating.

Residents found it difficult to remember to always turn their appliances off standby, with the TV being the biggest challenge.

Personal engagement with customers was key to getting buy-in. Positive experiences with retrofit at Kent Grove were also an effective

platform to recruit and engage residents. The engagement activity has helped residents become more adept at using the free energy provided by the PV array.

Involving scheme managers who had established relationships with residents and were available to answer on-going questions was key to getting sign-up and maintaining involvement.

Constant reinforcement of simple messages is key to delivering results and avoiding overloaded residents with information. This was particularly important given some savings took time to embed.

Tagging group events onto existing social activities took advantage of the communal nature of schemes. These were helpful for passing on information.

However residents were more comfortable discussing personal details and habits during private one-to-one sessions.

As a one-off, incentives such as prizes/competitions captured resident interest, although this impact may become diluted if repeated on a constant basis

Going forward we would recommend: Ensuring vulnerable residents are able to make best use of their heating

controls. Although time consuming, it became clear from an early stage that positive behaviours in this area needed to be reinforced wherever possible.

All our customer support/liaison colleagues are trained and confident providing energy efficiency advice and support through their day-to-day contact with residents. This will help overcome resource constraints and support reinforcement of key messages.

Making use of automated data collection technologies such as heat sensors and energy monitors to easily monitor the impact of engagement. Collecting baseline consumption information from households before engagement takes place is also a useful way to track changes in the absence of a control group.

Engagement around the deployment of national initiatives such as smart meters and financial incentives (Green Deal, ECO) need to be carefully

25

considered and coordinated to ensure they encourage participation rather than switch households off the issue.

26

Appendix: Supporting Leaflets

1

Learning unit: A Beginner’s Guide to Energy and Power SEE-GREEN

Learning Unit Title:

A Beginner’s Guide to Energy and Power

Why learn about energy and power?

The answer is because we all consume energy in our everyday lives for heating,

cooling, cooking, cleaning and personal hygiene.

It is essential to our well-being.

It is an expensive commodity and one, it seems, that can be guaranteed to

increase in price, well over the inflation rate, in any year.

However if we understand where and why we use it, we can control it.

CONTENTS

1. Energy

2. How much energy is 1 kWh?

3. Energy in Fuels

4. Power

5. How much power is 1 kW?

6. Energy-Power relationship

7. Examples

8. Conclusion

Quick Quiz

Crossword

2


1. ENERGY

What is energy?

People say they have energy when they feel able to go around doing lots of

things. This is not a bad definition.

Many types of energy are associated with movement like for example the

motion of the wind, the tides and waves.

We can think of heat as a measure of the motion of molecules.

We can think of electricity as the motion of electrons along a wire.

[Fuels are a little more subtle as their energy is related to the making and

breaking of the connections (bonds) between molecules.]

So, in general, energy is the ability to do work.

As is often the case, the units of energy are named after a researcher whose

contribution to a particular subject is central to its understanding.

Scientist & brewer James Joule (1818-1889) spent a career

(35 years) examining various forms of energy conversion with

much greater accuracy than researchers in the field of study

had before.

The internationally (non-US) recognised unit of energy is

therefore the Joule named in his honour.

The Joule is the unit of energy used by scientists and engineers.

1 Joule is a very small amount of energy and so another unit, the kilowatt-hour

(abbreviated to kWh) is more common.

Your energy invoices from service providers are usually quoted in terms of the

number of kWh’s you have consumed.

[There is a conversion from kWh to Joules (1 kWh = 3.6 million Joules) but you

are unlikely to need this]

3


2. HOW MUCH ENERGY IS 1 kWh?

For comparison purposes, 1 kWh of energy will, typically, give you:

2 days use of a small compact fluorescent lamp

10 hours use of an LCD television

5 hours of Desktop PC use

4 hours use of a Plasma television

60 minutes of lawn mowing

30 minutes of microwave oven use

6 minutes in a shower (at full power)

4 minutes of domestic boiler (at continuous full power)

100 seconds use of a small car (at continuous full power)

4


Manufacturers of some kitchen appliances like washing machines and

refrigerators now quote the ‘typical’ annual energy consumption (kWh/year)

of their products.

For example: -

Small fridges: 150kWh/year

6kg load washing machines: 200kWh/annum

Small dish washers: 250kWh/year

Fridge freezers: 300kWh/year

[For tumble dryers, manufacturers like to talk about the energy consumption

per cycle. Values of 3 – 5 kWh/cycle are common]

The examples quoted above are for new, well maintained machines.

Machines greater than 5 years old are likely to have energy consumptions

significantly in excess of those illustrated.

The figures may not be relevant for those with atypical lifestyles.

5


3. ENERGY IN FUELS

Historically we have largely acquired our energy from the consumption of fossil

fuels so taking a minute to consider and compare fuel sources in terms of the

amount of energy (kWh) they contain per unit of purchased source would be

interesting.

Some guidance (using average values) is given below.

1 kg of anthracite 10 kWh

1 kg coal 10.3kWh

1m3 of natural gas 10.8kWh

1 litre of gasoline 9.4 kWh

1 litre of diesel fuel 11.1kWh

1 litre of gas oil 11.4kWh

1 litre of fuel oil 12.2kWh

By comparison a 1kg of a renewable fuel like a woody biomass might typically

contain about 4kWh.

Energy content pricing is an interesting concept.

For example, a litre of diesel fuel contains approximately 18% more energy

than 1 litre of gasoline and yet its price at the fuel pump is only a few

percentage in excess of gasoline.

6


4. POWER

Power is a measure of how quickly you are doing work or using energy.

Again, the units of power are named after a researcher whose contribution to

a particular subject is central to its understanding.

The internationally (non-US) recognised unit of power is the Watt.

Scottish engineer and inventor James Watt (1736-1819) was

employed by Glasgow University, UK to repair a model of the

most advanced steam engine of its time, the Newcomen

engine.

Watt devised a range of thermal and mechanical

improvements to the engine that improved its efficiency by 300% allowing it to

become universally adopted wherever mechanical power was required.

In an age before electricity his contribution to energy generation was

revolutionary.

A Watt is an energy expenditure of 1 Joule per second.

1 Watt is not a large amount of power.

A multiple of this, the kilowatt, is commonly in use.

1kilowatt = 1000Watts

The term kilowatt is often further abbreviated to kW.

Converting from Watts to kW is simple – just divide by 1000

For example: 500 Watts = 500/1000 = 0.5kW (or ½ kW)

2000 Watts = 2000/1000 = 2kW

7


5. HOW MUCH POWER IS 1kW?

The value of the power rating is commonly stated on energy consuming [and

energy generating] devices and appliances and tells us something about how

quickly energy is being either used [or made].

Look for a small plate or sticker usually on the rear or bottom of the appliance.

[They can have a lot of information on them, sometimes, but we are only

looking for a number followed by Watts, W or kW.]

Alternatively take a look at the manufacturers’ instructions.

They usually have a table of information.

Examples of the power rating on everyday domestic appliances

A vacuum cleaner A kettle An electric toaster

8


For comparison purposes the typical power ratings of some common domestic

devices is given below:

Appliance Power rating range

32”(80cm) LED television 30 – 50W Small cooling fans 30 – 50W

Laptop computers 50 W 32” (80cm) LCD television 50 – 80W

60”(150cm) Plasma 3D television 180W

Food mixers 150 – 250W Desktop computers 50 – 300W

Food blenders 350 - 600W Food processors 500 – 1000W

Electric toaster 1500W

Coffee making machines 1500W Lawn mowers 1 - 1.7kW

Hair drier 1.2 – 2.4kW Vacuum cleaners 1.2 – 2.4kW

Steam iron 1.2 – 2.8kW Microwave ovens (800W output) 2 – 2.25kW

Kettles 2.2 – 3.0kW

Portable electric fan and convector heaters 2.0 – 3.0kW Small domestic boilers 10 - 15kW

Look at the Microwave oven value.

This is interesting and something to think about.

Microwave ovens are usually specified by manufacturers as having 650W,

800W or 900W ratings. However, this is just the microwave power.

The oven may consume electricity at a rate of more than 2000Watts (2kW).

Can you think why?

[Answer: It also uses electricity to rotate the dish and keep a light on.

Also it may not convert electricity into microwaves very efficiently].

9


6. ENERGY – POWER RELATIONSHIP

Energy and power are interlinked.

The application of power for a given time will result in the consumption of

energy.

We can predict how much energy a domestic appliance will consume quite

easily if we remember to get the units (kWh, kW and hours) correct.

It is no more difficult than multiplying two numbers together [and using a

calculator is not cheating!]

The link between what appears on a bill (kWh) and the power rating (kW) on

an appliance is:

Energy (kWh) = Power (kW) x time of use (hours)

[If we know the cost of energy (Euro/kWh) we could go on to predict our energy

bills.]

A few little examples of how to use this relationship will take away any mystery

10


7. EXAMPLES

Question 1

An electric convector heater rated at 1kW is left on for 1hour.

How much energy (kWh) will it consume?

[We notice that the units are all correct ]

Then Energy (kWh) = Power (kW) x time of use (hours)

= 1 x 1

= 1kWh

11


Question 2

An electric convector heater rated at 1kW is left on for 30

minutes.


[We notice that the time of use is given in minutes.

- We must convert this to hours]

30 minutes = ½ hours


= 1 x 1/2

= ½ kWh

12


Question 3

A compact fluorescent lamp rated at 20Watts is left on for 8hours.


[We notice that the power is given in Watts.

- We must convert this to kW by dividing by 1000

We might want to use a basic calculator for this one but we don’t need to go

back to school, the calculator on your mobile phone is probably good enough!]

20 Watts = 20/1000

= 0.02kW


= 0.02 x 8

= 0.16kWh

13


8. CONCLUSION

Power (measured in kilowatts) and energy (measured in kilowatt-hours or

Joules) are not identical or interchangeable.

However their conversion is relatively simple with a little practice.

OK that is all for this learning unit.

What can you do now?

See if you can spot the power rating on any of your energy consuming

appliances at home. These may be visible on the appliance or maybe

from manufacturers’ instructions.

Perhaps, for 1 day, you could keep an energy diary of your habits, for

example, what you turned on, when you turned it on and how long it

was on.

You could take the Quick Quiz and Crossword below (just for fun) to test

your knowledge of Energy and Power. Good Luck!

14


Learning unit: A Beginner’s Guide to Energy and Power

Multiple Choice Quick Quiz

Questions prepared by: N Packer, Staffordshire University, UK, August 2012.

Instructions:-Simply Circle the Correct Answer.

1. How many watts are in 1 kilowatt (or 1kW)?

10

100

1000

2. What units of energy are used on your energy bills?

kW

kWh

Joules

3. What are the units of power?

kWh

kW

Calorie

4. Which scientist and inventor has a unit of energy named in his honour?

Joule

Watt

Newton

5. Which scientist and inventor has a unit of power named in his honour?

Joule

Watt

Einstein

15


6. A laptop computer typically has a power rating of:

5 kW

500W

50W

7. A large food blender typically has a power rating of:

6 Watts

60 Watts

600 Watts

8. A kettle typically has a power rating of:

2 - 3 Watts

200 - 300 Watts

2 - 3 kW

9. The amount of energy contained in a 1 litre container of gasoline is

about:

1 kWh

10 kWh

100 kWh

10. The energy used by any domestic appliance can be calculated by:

Adding its power to its time of use

Multiplying its power by its time of use

Dividing its power by its time of use

16



CROSSWORD


ACROSS

1. Sustainable, can be replaced (9)

2. A property enabling work to be carried out (6)

3. Amount of power (6)

4. A type of liquid fuel (8)

5. A type of solid fuel (10)

DOWN

6. Molecules in motion (4)

7. Electrons in motion down a wire (11)

8. A type of heater (6)

9. A person who applies science to invent technology (8)

10. Unit of power (4)

1

2

3

4

8 7

6

5

10

9

17


Author

Neil Packer is a Chartered engineer and Senior lecturer at the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science,

Staffordshire University, UK. He has been teaching thermo-fluid and environmental engineering for nearly 20

years and acts as a LOW CARBON Consultant providing a range of energy services to business, industry and

local authorities.

Contact details:

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science

Staffordshire University

Beaconside, Stafford, ST18 0AD

Tel 01785 353243 email [email protected]

This information was presented as part of the Senior Engagement in a Green Economy Project (SEE-GREEN)

funded by Lifelong Learning Programme (Gruntdvig) through the European Commission.

The project time line is November 2011 to ???.

For more information and to take part in our online community visit:

http://www.see-green.eu/seegreensite/en/

mailto:[email protected]


18



Answers


1. 1000

2. kWh

3. kW

4. Joule

5. Watt

6. 50W

7. 600W

8. 2 – 3kW

9. 10kWh

10. Multiplying its power rating by its time of use

Crossword

ACROSS

1. Sustainable, can be replaced (9) RENEWABLE

2. A property enabling work to be carried out (6) ENERGY

3. Amount of power (6) RATING

4. A type of liquid fuel (8) GASOLINE

5. A type of solid fuel (10) ANTHRACITE

DOWN

6. Molecules in motion (4) HEAT

7. Electrons in motion down a wire (11) ELECTRICITY

8. A type of heater (6) BOILER

9. A person who applies science to invent technology (8) ENGINEER

10. Unit of power (4) WATT

1

Learning unit: A Beginner’s Guide to Energy Controls SEE-GREEN

Learning Unit Title:

A Beginner’s Guide to Energy Controls

Why learn about energy controls?

The answer is because correctly used energy controls:

make your home more comfortable

stop you wasting money and keep your energy bills to a minimum

CONTENTS

1. Temperature

2. Heating the rooms in your residence

3. Room thermostats

4. Thermostatic radiator valves

5. Providing hot water for use in your kitchen and bathroom

6. Energy controllers (Timers)

7. Laundry (clothes washing)

8. Dryers

9. Refrigerators and freezers

10. Conclusion

Quick Quiz, Word-search and Word-cube

2


1. TEMPERATURE

The temperature of a material, like for example water, air or your body, is

really only a measure of how much energy the atoms and molecules of the

material possess.

There are two commonly used measure of temperature. Which one you are

familiar with may depend on your age or perhaps your nationality.

The temperature scales in use are the:

Fahrenheit scale (abbreviated to ‘oF’)

Celsius scale (abbreviated to ‘oC’)

The Celsius or centigrade scale is more common today.

It is easy to think about in everyday terms:

a kettle heating water to 100oC will convert it to steam

a refrigerator cooling water to below 0oC will form ice.

Heating or cooling materials i.e. changing their temperature, requires the

consumption of energy.

How can temperatures be maintained efficiently and economically?

The answer is to make good use of ENERGY CONTROLS.

Let’s talk about where energy controls have an important role to play in

residences.

3


2. HEATING THE ROOMS IN YOUR RESIDENCE

Over-heating a room will result in high energy bills and may be uncomfortable.

Under-heating a room is, of course, also undesirable.

So what is a comfortable room temperature?

The answer is not simple and depends on many factors such as room use, level

of occupant activity, clothing levels, health, age, gender etc.

Individual circumstances will, of course, vary.

Some typical temperatures for the heating of domestic residences are given

below:

Living rooms 22-23oC

Bedrooms 17-19oC

Kitchens 17-19oC

Bathrooms 20-22oC

Toilets 19-21oC

In terms of economy how important is it to maintain the desired conditions in

a room?

It will vary depending on average annual outdoor temperatures but for

example in the UK overheating a building by 1oC can add about 10% to the

annual heating bill.

4


3. ROOM THERMOSTATS

A thermostat is an automatic electrical switch that responds to temperature

change.

The simplest room thermostats have a rotating dial face on which is marked a

temperature scale of typically 10- 30oC.

There is usually some type of raised marker on the stationary casing of the

thermostat.

To set the thermostat, the desired temperature on the dial is manually lined up

with the marker.

Once set, the thermostat will automatically switch the

heating on and off to try to maintain the desired

temperature in the room.

[The thermostat, usually, only shuts off the heating pump or a small valve in

the heating circuit. The heating boiler usually looks after itself with its own

thermostat]

This is much better and more convenient that going around your residence

manually turning radiators on and off.

It is true that automatic control like this will result in the room temperature

fluctuating a little.

However the human body is not able to detect air temperature changes of less

than 2oC.

A good quality thermostat will take this into account and you should not feel

any temperature swings.

A typical wall mounted thermostat

5


USING ROOM THERMOSTATS PROPERLY

To operate correctly the room thermostat should:

be installed on an internal wall

not be covered by any obstruction like, for example, furniture, curtains

etc

not be exposed to direct sunlight or a draft from an open or badly fitting

window or door

Any of these conditions could produce a false reading from the thermostat

resulting in over-heating or under-heating.

6


Typical Thermostatic Radiator Valves

4. THERMOSTATIC RADIATOR VALVES

One disadvantage of a simple thermostat controlled heating system is that the

thermostat is responding to conditions in the room where it is installed.

What about the other rooms?

All other rooms fed by the same heating pump will follow the lead of the

thermostat.

(But they may be on a sunnier side of your property and require less heating!)

This disadvantage can be overcome on a radiator system by the use of

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (often abbreviated to TRV’s)

A thermostatic radiator valve replaces the manual control valve on a radiator

and acts like an automatic tap.

It has a rotating cap on the top that is

marked in numbers (typically 0[off] –

5[25oC]).

The desired room temperature is set by

rotating the cap until the selected position

either lines up with a marker or is shown in a

small ‘window’ on the valve.

Once set satisfactorily, the TRV need never be adjusted again.

When the TRV senses an unwanted increase in room temperature it will start

to shut off the flow of water to the radiator (just like closing a tap)

When the TRV senses an unwanted decrease in room temperature it will start

to open up the flow of water to the radiator (just like opening a tap).

(A little experimentation may be needed to find the setting that right for your

room initially)

7


USING TRV’s PROPERLY

TRV’s have a major advantage – they only control the radiator

on which they are installed.

This means that we can set them according to the conditions we want

in a particular room.

To operate correctly the TRV should:

not be covered by any obstruction like, for example, furniture, curtains

not be exposed to direct sunlight or a draft from an open window

Any of these conditions could produce a false reading from the TRV resulting in

over-heating or under-heating the room.

8


5. PROVIDING HOT WATER FOR USE IN THE KITCHEN AND BATHROOM

In addition to heating, some modern boilers are able to generate hot water

instantaneously.

In this case the temperature is set thermostatically at the boiler.

In many other cases, hot water is generated in a separate tank or storage

cylinder by electricity or by a dedicated heating circuit from the boiler.

In either case the temperature of the storage cylinder will need to be

controlled.

This is facilitated by a thermostat either inserted into the water, or sitting on

the outside wall of the cylinder.

In either case the thermostat is again likely to have some kind of control dial

and temperature scale to be set by the user.

This thermostat operates very much like the room thermostat described

earlier.

For an electrically heated cylinder, the thermostat switches off the electricity

supply to the heater.

For a cylinder heated by a boiler, the thermostat will divert the dedicated flow

from the boiler away from the cylinder.

An insertion type cylinder thermostat A surface type cylinder thermostat

9


So what is an acceptable hot water storage temperature?

The answer is that storage temperatures are usually dictated by health

concerns.

Most common bacteria cannot survive at temperatures of 60oC and above and

hot water storage temperatures will operate at this level.

Storing water at a higher temperature is just a waste of money.

SAFETY FIRST

However safe skin contact temperatures are much less

than this and water is best delivered at a lower

temperature via mixing valves to taps, shower heads

etc to avoid potential scalding and burns.

(A temperature of 43oC at a bath hot tap outlet is quite hot

enough.

Note that the actual bathing water temperature should be less

than this.

Similarly, at the outlet point, 40oC is hot enough for showers and

washbasins)

A hot water/cold water mixing valve

10


A typical programmable energy timer

6. ENERGY CONTROLLERS (TIMERS)

It may be that you do not want heating and hot water available all day or every

day of the week.

You could keep looking at your clock and go around the house turning things

on and off according to the time of day or

the day of the week.

A much more convenient way to achieve

the same result is to use a digital energy

timer like the one shown here.

(Older electro-mechanical timers with

24hour circular dials are still in use

however)

Energy timers give you the power to fire up

your heating and hot water system at the times you need them.

They are programmable.

The setting of on/off timer with these controllers is often as simple as setting a

digital alarm clock.

The most common types give you the flexibility to program different on/off

times for 7 days a week if you need it.

They can also enable you to program in individual times for heating and hot

water provision if you wish.

Finally most come with a manual override and a facility to give a short 1 hour

boost to the system at the single push of a button.

The current setting of the controller can be seen at a glance in a small front

panel that shows the date, time of day and current state (on/off) of the

heating and hot water systems.

11


7. LAUNDRY (Clothes Washing)

Energy is used in washing clothes for three reasons:

Heating the water

Rotating or ‘spinning’ the ‘drum’ to help the washing powder and water

penetrate the clothes

Rotating or ‘spinning’ the ‘drum’ to remove the water from the clothes

and pumping the water out of the machine at the end of the process

So what is an acceptable clothes washing temperature?

The answer depends on the material being washed. Some guidance is given

below.

White Cotton 95oC (very hot, remember water boils at 100oC)

Colourfast Cotton 60oC

Non-colourfast Cotton 40oC

Acrylics 40oC

Wool 40oC

Silks 30oC

Choosing a temperature setting in excess of the manufacturer recommended

value will not get the clothes any cleaner but will consume more energy.

Many machines have an alphabetic setting dial that

enables the user to select a pre-programmed cycle

temperature and ‘spin’ time based on load material.

Some machines may also have additional dials

enabling the user to manually select the temperature

(typically 30 – 95oC) and ‘spin’ speed (typically 500 – 1600rpm)

A typical washing

machine control panel

12


8. DRYERS

Automatic clothes dryers consume energy by:

Heating air and using a fan to blow it into the

drying basket containing the clothes

Rotating or ‘tumbling’ of the basket to ensure

even heating (drying) of the clothes

Extracting the moist air from the basket with a

fan or pumping away any liquid water collected

in the basket

They are controlled most simply by selecting a program based on the load

material, by setting a drying temperature and time or by automatically sensing

the amount of moisture in the extract air.

A typical clothes dryer

control panel

13


9. REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS

Some typical recommended cold storage temperatures for foods are illustrated

in the table below.

Food Temperature(oC)

Fish to freeze -15

Poultry to freeze -18

Ice cream -10

Apples, eggs -1

Fresh beans, onions, carrots 0

Oranges, potatoes 1

Cheese, milk 2

Ripe tomatoes 6

Wines 10

Bananas 13

An alternative view often taken with food of a perishable nature is to avoid

storage in the so-called ‘temperature danger zone’ having a range of 5 to

60oC.

Inside this range many types of bacteria are able to survive and thrive grow.

Outside of this range, bacterial growth is minimised.

All bacterial growth is stopped at around -18oC.

Fridges and freezers all have numbered dials or rollers

to control temperature.

Unfortunately many manufacturer instructions for use

do not relate these numbers to actual temperatures

inside the fridge. The information usually supplied tells

us that a zero setting will produce defrost while the

maximum setting will produce a fast freeze.

(It would be helpful if manufacturers installed small LED temperature

displays on domestic fridges similar to those that can be seen on most

commercial fridges in supermarkets)

To operate minimise its energy use the fridge freezer should not be installed

next to a radiator, cooker or be exposed to direct sunlight.

A typical refrigerator

controller

14


10. CONCLUSION

OK that is all for this learning unit.

What can you do now?

You could go around your home making note of any Energy Controls

that you have, their current settings and whether they need adjustment

to save you money without affecting your living environment

You could take the Quick Quiz, Word-search or Word-Cube below (just

for fun) to test your knowledge of Energy Controls. Good Luck!

15


Learning unit: A Beginner’s Guide to Energy Controls



Instructions:-Simply Circle the Correct Answer.

1. Which of the following is not a scale of temperature?

Celsius

Fahrenheit

Therm

2. What is a suitable temperature for a living room?

18 -19oC

22 – 23oC

24 – 25oC

3. The abbreviation TRV stands for:

Temperature Regulating Valve

Themostatic Radiator Valve

Temperature Reducing Valve

4. Which of the following statements is correct?

A room thermostat is best installed:

On an outside wall

Behind a curtain

Out of direct sunlight

5. What is typical temperature for storing hot water?

40oC

60oC

80oC

16


6. What would be an acceptable maximum temperature at the outflow of a hot tap in a

hand basin?

40oC

60oC

80oC

7. What is the ‘temperature danger zone’ for the growth of bacteria on perishable food?

0 - 20oC

5 - 60o

60 - 100oC

8. The Human body is unable to detect air temperature changes of less than about:

2oC

5oC

10oC

9. Which of the following statements is incorrect?

Domestic refrigerators commonly have temperature displays

TRV’s on a radiators respond to air temperature and operate like an automatic tap

In the UK overheating a building by 1oC increases annual heating energy bills by 10%

10. An appropriate water temperature for washing wool and acrylics is:

30oC

40oC

90oC

17



Word-search

Prepared by: N Packer, Staffordshire University, UK, August, 2012.

D D P M E T E R G U L

H R R N L E N L D D W

M N O Y E E E Z U C W

O J G T E G R D O O S

I J R A T R G A S N V

S Q A L R H V T M T E

T E M P E R A T U R E

N X M V C D L X R O A

D I A I I Z V F T L E

Y A B W T P E N W R K

C Y L I N D E R L H Y N P E L L F R E F I E

Find the following 9 words:

Control Cylinder Dryer

LED Moist Programmable

Temperature Valve Zone

18



Word-cube

Prepared by: N Packer, Staffordshire University, UK, August 2012.

How many words of 4 letters or more can you find?

Rules

No plurals are allowed, No proper names, No letter can be used more than once

You must use the centre letter in each word.

There is a 9 letter word related to this learning unit.

(30 words is good, 50 words is excellent)

D E C

I E N

S E R

19


Other learning units you might like to study:

A Beginner’s Guide to Energy and Power

A Beginner’s Guide to Thermal Comfort (’Being Cosy’)

A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing a Boiler

Author details

Neil Packer is a Chartered engineer and Senior lecturer at the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science,

Staffordshire University, UK. He has been teaching thermo-fluid and environmental engineering for nearly 20

years and acts as a LOW CARBON Consultant providing a range of energy services to business, industry and

local authorities.

Contact details:

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science

Staffordshire University

Beaconside, Stafford, ST18 0AD

Tel 01785 353243 email [email protected]

This information was presented as part of the Senior Engagement in a Green Economy Project (SEE-GREEN)

funded by Lifelong Learning Programme (Gruntdvig) through the European Commission.

The project time line is November 2011 to ???.

For more information and to take part in our online community visit:


All heating and hot water control product images used with the kind permission of Honeywell

International Inc.

www.honeywell.com/sites/uk/

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.honeywell.com/sites/uk/

20



Answers


1. Therm 2. 22-23oC 3. Thermostatic radiator valve 4. Out of direct sunlight 5. 60oC 6. 40oC 7. 5 – 60oC 8. 2oC 9. Domestic temperatures commonly have temperature displays 10. 40oC

Word-search

D D P M E T E R G U L

H R R N L E N L D D W

M N O Y E E E Z U C W

O J G T E G R D O O S

I J R A T R G A S N V

S Q A L R H V T M T E

T E M P E R A T U R E

N X M V C D L X R O A

D I A I I Z V F T L E

Y A B W T P E N W R K

C Y L I N D E R L H Y

N P E L L F R E F I E

Word-cube

CREED, CIDER, CINDER, CRIED, CRIES, DECREE, DEER, DENIER, DENSE, DENSER, DICE, DICER,

DINER, DIRE, DISCERN, DESIRE, EERIE, ICED, NERD, NEEDIER, NEED, NICE, NICER, NIECE, RECEDE,

RESEED, REIN, REINED, REND, RESCIND, RESEND, RICE, RIDE, RIDES, RISEN, RISE, RINSE, SCENE,

SCREEN, SCREENED, SECEDE, SEED, SEEDER, SEEN, SEER, SEND, SENDER, SERENE, SIDE, SINCE,

SINCERE, SINE, SIRE, SNEER, SNEERED, SNIDE.

Top-TipsSAVING MONEY AND THE PLANET!

By writing toAspire Group Head Office Kingsley, The Brampton Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 0QW.

By visiting our offices

By emailing [email protected]

Via our websitewww.aspirehousing.co.uk

By telephoning 01782 635200 By minicom 01782 854993By fax 01782 715498

How to contact us

Water Saving Tips

Reduce, re-use, recycle

Take a short shower rather than a bath could save you up to 400 litres a week. If you do have baths, just half fill them.

Keep water in the fridge so that you do not need to run water down the sink to have a cold drink.

Buy “refills” for washing / washing machine liquids - not only are you saving the environment it will save you money.

Is that old sofa really rubbish, can someone re-use it? Can you sell it? – contact Furniture Mine on 01782 846111 to see if they will collect it and re-use it for low-income families.

Help save the planet and cut £££s off your household bills.

Less energy used also means lower costs - a great way to save money while times are tough.

Aspire Housing is supporting customers to cut their energy use, increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. It is part of Aspire’s plan to reduce our impact on the environment.

Aspire is also upgrading homes with new technology like solar panels, helping customers to recycle and working with suppliers to minimise the waste created by maintaining and upgrading homes.

These energy saving tips are designed to help you and the planet. We hope you find them useful. You can find out more using the information on the back page.

Heating and hot water

Throughout the house

In the kitchenTurn your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent saving around £50 per year.

Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors.

Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.

Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you’re using an electric kettle).

If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.

Less electricity, gas or oil used in the house means less fuel is

burned to produce the energy - which means less harmful gases

and less damage to the environment.

Put on a jumper or socks in bed! To help you keep warm, and only turn on the boiler when you’re at home.

A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they’re fully turned off!

Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.

Use energy saving lightbulbs. They last 10 times longer and they can save you £45 in electricity per bulb.

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