Research project CP/50 (Research action CP)
Context
In the framework of the Kyoto Protocol, several surveys have shown that Belgian households should contribute 20% to the total objective of reducing greenhouse gases for the Kyoto Protocol target in 2010. Moreover, if in Belgium one can find - at the same time - .a considerable potential for reducing household consumption, assertions in favour of change and numerous information campaigns, in the end few results are recorded. In reality the large reduction potential is partly due to the fact that, precisely, few measures have succeeded. Our research project aims at understanding this situation and providing useful recommendations to public authorities.
Project description
Despite the abundant literature on household energy consumption, we lack data on real household behaviours. It appears essential to know how households consume energy, what their attitudes and motivations are, in order to be able to take their constraints and practices into account when it comes to designing and developing instruments intended to modify their behaviours.
Among the set of available political instruments, information and awareness measures have been mostly used in order to curb individual’s behaviour. Yet the problem lies in the link between a kind of political instrument (either information, legal or economical) and the targeted people. According to our previous studies, we can assert that most of the instruments miss their target by lack of knowledge of this target. One usually does not take the profiles of related consumers into account. Besides classical socio-economical variables, other determinations linked to the “style of life” should be considered in order to increase the efficiency of political instruments.
In this study, we shall thoroughly investigate the perception of energy by households in order to get an in-depth view of the socio-cultural factors, which affect the energy consumption of households. Subsequently we shall identify specific measures that could be used, for each of the identified household profiles, to effectively change this consumption in the most efficient way. This will lead us to provide policy-makers with effective proposals to make more efficient instruments.
Moreover, in order to understand the implementation dynamics of political instruments, we shall carry out an investigation among different actors who are setting the frame of household energy consumption: architects, builders, heating technicians, public authorities, etc.
Objectives
Our research will describe household energy consumption in Belgium, and will attempt to find out a relevant segmentation of households in this subject. We hypothesise that this segmentation can be realised according to the households responsiveness to different sets of political instruments.
When we speak of household energy consumption, we mean consumption in the dwelling at the place of (main or secondary) residence excluding indirect consumption (for example, location-bound mobility), while private household means one or more people living in the same dwelling and who do not make up “collective households” (e.g. old people’s homes, orphanages, barracks, prisons).
The main objective of this research can be summed up in the working out of a table associating households profiles and their features (% in the total population, energy consumptions, socio-demographic characteristics, kind of dwelling, etc.) to sets of political instruments that would be the most efficient for each profile. So decision makers could assess the impact of a given RUE (rational use of energy) campaign before launching it.
Methodology
In a first step, we shall establish the different relevant variables regarding household energy consumption. We shall carry out a qualitative analysis by “focus groups” and in-depth interviews, in order to reach a precise understanding of the attitudes and behaviours found in some consumption sectors. This analysis notably permits to determine which instruments are most likely to induce behaviour changes in the different profiles. Completed by field studies, this analysis will allow to determine and refine the profiles according to their sensitivity to some ranges of instruments. This profile segmentation will be compared with other segmentation types from the literature.
In parallel with this profile identification work, an inventory and an analysis of the instruments developed in the field of RUE will be conducted, with special attention to the criteria used in order to take into account the characteristics of the publics aimed at. We shall equally study the socio-technical dynamic of the installation within households of equipments consuming and saving energy. In this framework a particular attention will be paid to the intermediaries who play a part not only as senders but also as receivers of the instruments developed in the field of RUE.
As the qualitative analysis does not allow a quantitative extrapolation of the results, it will be completed by a quantitative phase with a view to identify the most frequent attitude logic and to collect a range of data on the variables interfering with household energy consumption. That will also allow us to focus on the most frequent profiles which could save their energy. It will then be possible to assess the impact of the information campaigns and other political instruments a priori.
Interaction between the different partners
Each partner of the team will take part in the search of information and data.
CRIOC
will be in charge of analysing consumers’ behaviour and attitudes.
ULB and ICEDD, according to their competencies, will analyse the different aspects of energy consumption.
Expected results and /or products
The study will lead directly to a practical instrument for public authorities. It will enable to assess impacts of measures directed towards household energy consumption that an administration would take.
Partners
Co-ordinator
Grégoire Wallenborn
Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Centre d’Etudes du Développement Durable (IGEAT-ULB) - CP 130/02
Avenue F. D. Roosevelt 50
B-1050 Bruxelles
Tel: + 32 (0)2 650 43 68
Fax: + 32 (0)2 650 43 12
gwallenb@ulb.ac.be
http://www.ulb.ac.be/igeat/cedd/
Promotors
Catherine Rousseau
Centre de Recherche et d'Information des Organisations de Consommateurs (CRIOC-OIVO)
Rue des Chevaliers18
B-1050 Bruxelles
Tel: +32 (0)2 547 06 11
Fax: +32 (0)2 547 06 01
catherine.rousseau@oivo-crioc.org
http://www.oivo-crioc.org
Karine Thollier
Institut de Conseil et d’Etudes en Développement Durable
Boulevard Frère Orban 4
B-5000 Namur
Tel: +32 (0)81 25 04 94
Fax: +32 (0)81 25 04 90
kt@icedd.be
http://www.icedd.be
Users Committee
Marc Depoortere, Conseil Fédéral du Développement Durable
Anemie Neyens, ANRE - Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap
Sophie Closson, SPF - Santé Publique, Sécurité de la Chaîne Alimentaire et Environnement
Thibaud De Menten, Inter-Environnement Wallonie
Dirk Knapen, Bond Beter Leefmilieu
Carl Maschietto, DGTRE - Ministère de la Région Wallonne
Steven Vromman, Ecolife
Eric Nicolas, Institut Eco-conseil
Francis Bossier, Bureau Fédéral du Plan
Françoise Bartiaux, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)
Guy Vekemans, Vlaamse Instelling voot technologisch onderzoek (VITO)
Sophie Bronchart, ABEA – Agence Bruxelloise de l'Energie
Joëlle Van Bambeke, IBGE – Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion de l'Environnement
Détermination de profils des ménages pour une utilisation plus rationnelle de l'energie : rapport final
Wallenborn, Grégoire - Rousseau, Catherine, Aupaix, Hélène ... et al Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2006 (SP1633)
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Détermination de profils des ménages pour une utilisation plus rationnelle de l'energie : annexes
Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2006 (SP1634)
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Huishoudprofielen nader omschrijven voor een efficiënter energiebeheer aan de vraagzijde : samenvatting
Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2006 (SP1635)
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Détermination de profils de ménages pour une utilisation plus rationnelle de l’énergie : résumé
Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2006 (SP1636)
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Specifying household profiles for more efficient energy demand-side management : summary
Brussels : Belgian Science Policy, 2006 (SP1637)
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