Public acceptance of a ‘smarter’ energy future Alexa Spence Psychology and Horizon Digital...

Public acceptance of a ‘smarter’ energy future

Alexa SpencePsychology and Horizon Digital Economy Research, University of Nottingham

With Christina Demski, Catherine Butler, Karen Parkhill and Nick Pidgeon

Behave ConferenceSep 2014

Smart meters and in-home displays

Smart meters and in-home displays, providing real time information on energy use and cost- In all UK homes by 2020

The Electricity Grid

• Today the ‘dumb’ electricity grid transmits electricity from power stations to homes, factories etc.

• Future ‘smart’ grid, including DSM technologies, will allow information as well as energy to be transmitted.

Demand Side Management

‘the modification of consumer demand for

energy through various methods’

(changing the way that people use energy)

New technologies

Financial incentives

Information feedback

National Survey

Survey conducted online with Ipsos MORI in August 2012

Quota sampling: N = 2441 Gender, age, geographic region,

employment status Survey included:

Perceptions of home energy use Concern about wider energy issues Acceptance of DSM scenarios

(Demski et al., 2013)

DSM scenarios

1. Appliances automatically turning off when left on standby

2. Shower turning off after a set period of time, manual override possible

3. Setting washing machine to wash clothes before a certain time

4. Allowing fridge-freezers to be switched off for short periods

5. Having optimum time to heat water determined by network operator

Predicting acceptance of DSM

Affordability concerns

N.B. Energy Security concerns included as a covariate

Acceptance of DSM

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

Accep

tan

ce o

f D

SM

Acceptance of DSM

Own a

prep

aym

ent m

eter

Do no

t own

a pr

epay

men

t met

er3

3.1

3.2

3.3

Acc

ep

tan

ce o

f D

SM

Social grade and acceptance

N.B. Energy Security concerns included as a covariate

Conclusions

Overall people willing to reduce energy and spend time on this

People concerned about costs less accepting of DSM Potential financial benefits not apparent or believed Cost concerns associated with preparedness to think

about energy use but also with unwillingness to share data

Less likely to own home and have capital to invest Opportunities for DSM where autonomy and control are

retained Environmental frames should be considered Role for policy development to promote uptake

and to ensure even distribution of costs

Alexa Spence

University of Nottingham

Alexa.spence@nottingham.ac.uk

UK Energy Research Centrewww.ukerc.ac.uk