Deliverable D6.4: Final Report WP6 WP6: Analyse and evaluate … · 2019-02-15 · Final Report WP6...

Final Report WP6 - WP6-task6.5 – July 2018

Grant agreement number: 649669 – H2020-EE-2014-2015 / HG2020-EE-2014-3 - MarketUptake

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Deliverable D6.4: Final Report WP6

WP6:AnalyseandevaluatetheprojectresultsTask6.5:EvaluationReportandRecommendations

Grant agreement 649669 Project Acronym SMART-UP Project Title Consumer empowerment in a smart meter World Type of funding scheme H2020-EE-2014-2015 / HG2020-EE-2014-3 - marketupdate Project website http://www.smartup-project.eu Start Date of project March 1, 2015 Duration 4 months Due Date M37, March 2018 Actual date June 29th 2018 Dissemination level Confidential Nature Report / Other Number of pages 28 Version Final Work package WP6 – D6.4 Final report WP6 Authors Pierre Nolay (Alphéeis) Contributors Contribution of all partners Reviewer Etienne Marx (Alphéeis) Keywords Qualitative and quantitative analysis of data collected

Alphéeis, coordinator

AISFOR (Italy), Ecoserveis (Spain), NEA (UK), PIM (Malta),

Ref. Ares(2018)4034938 - 31/07/2018



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Tableofcontent

1. Introduction...............................................................................................................................31.1 TheSMART-UPproject............................................................................................................3

1.2 Whichmethodologytoempowervulnerableconsumers.............................................3

1.3 Whichresultsandfindings....................................................................................................52. Benefitsofvisitinghouseholds.............................................................................................6

2.1 Lessonslearnedfromtheresearch.....................................................................................6Strengths,weaknessesandlessonslearned..........................................................................................6

2.2 Recommendations....................................................................................................................8

Whatsupportmeasurescouldthevariousstakeholdersdeveloptoincreasetheenergysavingsimpactofconsumptioninformationtools?...........................................................................8

Howcanweidentifythevarioususerprofiles?Howcanwecommunicatetoeachofthem?....................................................................................................................................................................................10

3. Howtoenablehouseholdstotakeactionandusethesmartmeter.........................13

3.1 Lessonslearnedfromtheexperimentations..................................................................13Themainbarriers.............................................................................................................................................13

3.2 Recommendations..................................................................................................................15

Whatinformation-basedservicesshouldbeofferedtohouseholdstoencouragethemtoadoptenergyefficientpracticesinthelongterm?...........................................................................15

4. Howto involve frontlinestaffand improve the implementationof smart-meterroll-out.......................................................................................................................................18

4.1 Lessonslearnedfromtheresearch...................................................................................18

4.2 Recommendations..................................................................................................................21Identifyinghouseholds:aterritorialapproach..................................................................................21

Theidentificationofhouseholds:..............................................................................................................22Convincingdecisionmakers........................................................................................................................23

Trainingofsocialworkers............................................................................................................................25

Howtoconductadiagnosis.........................................................................................................................25Inconclusion.......................................................................................................................................................27



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1. Introduction1.1 TheSMART-UPprojectTheoverarchingaimofSMART-UPwastoencouragetheactiveuseofSmartMetersandIn-House Displays by vulnerable customers in France, Spain, Italy, UK andMalta. To do so itdevelopedatrainingprogramforinstallers,socialworkersandotherfrontlinestaffincontactwithvulnerablepeople, so that they could informvulnerable consumersabout thebenefitsbroughtaboutbysmartmeteringandadvisethemonhowtousetheirSmartMeterandIn-HomeDisplay(IHD)units.

Besides empowering vulnerable consumers, the project served to get some feedback onvulnerable households’ specific needs and on theways to appropriately communicatewiththemandhelpthemtakeprofitofsmartmetering.

1.2 WhichmethodologytoempowervulnerableconsumersThe SMART-UP pilot was a complexpilotingactivitytoverifytheimpactofdifferentwaysofassistingvulnerableconsumers.Withinthelarge-scalepilotenhancedtrainingandadvicewasdelivered to1,000vulnerablehouseholds ineachcountry and within the small-scalepilot 60 – 65 vulnerable householdsper country were divided intoexperimental groups and specificinterventions are delivered to themaccordingtotheexperimentalgroup.

• SMART-UP largepilot– todeliverenhanced trainingandadvice to1,000vulnerableconsumersineachcountry,

• SMART-UPsmallscalepilot–toassist60/65(accordingtothecountry)vulnerableconsumerswithdifferentinterventions.

• The SMART-UP pilot aims to determine the most efficient interventions to supportvulnerable consumers facing energy poverty. The impact of the interventions wasdetermined through the comparison of baseline data collected before and after theintervention.Asreportedintheevaluationreports,anex-antequestionnairewasbuilttocollectthebaselineduringthedeliveryoftheenhancedtrainingandadviceandanex-postquestionnairewasbuilttocollectthebaselinedataafterasignificantperiodfromthedeliveryoftheinterventions.

Inordertocollectsignificantdata,asstatedbytheSMART-UPworkplan,thelargeandsmall-scalepilots’timeframe(start–endandduration)weredifferent:

• Largescalepilot:thetimeframewas6–12months,theex-postquestionnairewasbeendeliveredafteratleast6monthsfromthedeliveryoftheenhancedadvice,

Smallscalepilot(60/65vulnerableconsumers)Largescalepilot(1,000vulnerableconsumers)

Figure1-Largeandsmall-scalepilot



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• Smallscalepilot: thetimeframewas10–12months, theex-postquestionnairewasdeliveredafterat least10months from thedeliveryof theenhanced advice and therelativeinterventionsaccordingtotheexperimentalgroup.

• SummarisingtheSMART-UPpilotconsistsin:

• Engaging 4,463 consumers, about 1,000 per country, in the large-scale pilot andcollectingfromalltheex-antefilledinquestionnaire.Givingthemadviceandaleafletcontaininginformationonhowtousethesmartmeter,howtoreadaninvoice,howtomakeenergysavings,howtofollowitsenergyconsumption,etc.

• Engaging60/65vulnerable consumersper country in the small-scale pilot anddelivering the specific interventions(according to the experimental group.Givingthempersonalizedadvice,helpingthem to follow their consumptionthrough an energy diary or through anIHD and putting in practices some tipsgivenduringthevisit.

• Collecting the filled-in ex-postquestionnaireforallthesmall-scalepilotparticipants

• Collectingfilled-inex-postquestionnairefrom households engaged in the large-scalepilottohaveatotalreturnrateof20%.

MorecompleteinformationontheactionsundertakenisavailableindeliverablesD5.3andD5.4.

Households engaged in the

large SMART-UP pilot

Households completing ex-

post questionnaire

Households engaged in the small scale pilot

Figure3Compositionoflargeandsmall-scaleSMART-UPpilot

Largescalepilot- deliveryofenhancedtrainingto1,000vulnerablehouseholds.Duration:6- 12months

Identificationofof60- 65householdstobeengagedinsmall-scalepilot.Duration:10- 12months

Asasubsetofthelarge-scalepilot

Figure2-Timescaleofthelargeandsmall-scalepilot



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1.3 WhichresultsandfindingsThisreportaimstoinformsocialworkers,localauthoritiesandallotherstakeholdersofthestrengthsandweaknessesoftheSMART-UPprojectmethodology.Sincethemainfocusoftheprojectwas to focus on smartmetering, the current reportwill take a specific look at thebenefits of the methodology that the project used: enhanced training, and how it ensuresconsumersarereceivingahighstandardofqualityinformationthatcanenablethemtotakeactionandusetheirsmartmetersandIHD(whereinstalled)moreeffectively.Incountrieswheretheroll-outhasnotbeencompletedyet,itprovidesinsightsaroundhowtoinvolveinstallers/frontlinestaffandimprovetheimplementationofthesmartmeterroll-out.

Themainprojectfindingswere:1) Most vulnerable and low-income householders require a one-to-one and on-going

support;2) Enablinghouseholdstotakeactionsisadifficultjob3) InvolvingfrontlineStaffrequirestotrainthemandgivethemtools.

Figure4Structureofthisreport

Thisreportrecallsthemainlessonswehavelearntfromthisprojectfollowingthesethreemainaxesandproposesrecommendationsthatwehave founduseful tosharewithall theactorsinvolvedinthefightagainstEnergypoverty.Otherlessonsfromtheproject,morespecifictocertainactivitiesconductedsuchasthetrainingofsocialworkersortheuseoftheenergydiaryaregiveninthereportsofWP2,3and4.

In this report, we wanted to focus on what actions to take with the households, how toimplementthemandwhatcanbeexpected.

Benefitsofenhancedtraining•Findings•Recommendations

Enablehousholdstotakeactions•Findings•Recommendations

Involvingfrontlinestaff• Findings•Recommendations



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2. Benefitsofvisitinghouseholds2.1 LessonslearnedfromtheresearchAlthoughthe fieldactorshavebeentrainedtoprovide informedadviceandvisitsorganizedaccordingtoawell-definedprotocol,itisevidentfromtheanalysisofthequestionnairesthathouseholds on the whole have difficulty inintegratingthegivenadvice,fullyusingthetoolsprovided (guide, energy diary) and follow theirconsumptiononthesmartmeterorIHDforthosewhohaveaccesstoit.

It seems that the visit and the advice (even themostcomprehensiveadvice),providedduringthesmall-scalepilotleadtoincreasedawarenessandallowedhouseholdstobetterunderstandenergyefficiency, but did not necessarily generate realbehaviourchangeandconsequentlydidnotleadtosignificantenergysavings.

However, it is important to note that that somehouseholdsinvolvedinthestudywerealreadyonaverylowconsumptionandwerelikelytoberationing/limitingtheirenergyuseasacopingmechanismsfortheirenergypoverty–thereforetheirscopetoreduceconsumptioninthefirstplacewas limited, and could even have increased as a result of the project (by enabling toachievegreater thermal comfort athome, forexample).This therefore raises the importantconsiderationofsocialequityinrelationtoactionsaimedatcarbonreduction.This section summarizes the lessons learned from the research that partners developed toanalysehowtheprojectmethodologyworkedandwhatcanbedoneinadifferentwayinotherfutureprojects.Itfirsttalksabouttheprojectstrengthsandweaknessesandusesthemtodrawthelessonslearned.

Thissetsouttheframeworkusedinsection2.2todrawrecommendations.

Strengths,weaknessesandlessonslearned

Talkingaboutthestrengths,researchshowedthatvisits and advice made households aware thatthey could implement simple, easy, inexpensiveor freeactionstosaveenergy in theirhomes.Inconsequence somehave implemented themandcontinuetosavemoneyandothers,even if theyhave not incorporated them into their dailyroutine,theyhaveatleasttriedthem.

Talkingaboutweaknesses,itispreciselythegapbetweenKnowledgeandPracticethatneedstobeunderstood.Inthatsense,whenwedidthepostintervention questionnaire we noticed that forinstance; while some people Knew that if theyturned off the standby they would save moreenergy, they did not change their Attitude and

Whilst delivery of SMART-UP in the UK didenable and encourage respondents to takeactionsthatwouldenablethemtomanagetheirenergy use efficiently, some households werestillinastateofheightenedvulnerabilitywhenit came to affording to comfortably heat theirhome,andwereengaginginpracticesthatcouldbe harmful to both their physical and mentalhealth and wellbeing. Indeed, in such cases,advicemaynotbeenoughtoenablehouseholdstosaveenergytotheextentthattheywouldbeable to take the savingsas increased levels ofwarmthathome.Whilst SMART-UP might have enabled somehouseholds to take action to manage theirenergyuse,then, itdidnotnecessarilyresolvetheprecariousnessoftheirfinancialsituationorimprove the efficiency of theirproperties/heating systems (only theirbehaviours).Thisthereforecouldacttolimittheextenttowhichtheirworriesaboutbeingabletoaffordtomeetthecostoftheirenergy,evenfortheirbasicneeds,couldbealleviated.

InFrance,householdsexpresstheneedformoresystematic and sustainable monitoring andsupport.Sothatthevisitcouldactuallyleadintoareductionoftheproblemsexperienced.The enhanced advice constitutes aargumentation tool and/or an aid for thenegotiationwiththelandlordsand/orwiththecompanies when there are works to engage.This iswhythe“traces” leftduringthevisitofthe frontline staff are widely appreciated(diagnosticreport,smallequipment,...).A person in a situation of energy poverty andaffectedbyaidschemesoftenexpressesastrongdemand:thatofbeing"accompanied".Thisimpliessuccessivevisits,butalsofollow-upandsupportinmultipleapproaches.



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recognizedthattheydidnotturneditoffandassuchdidnotdoanythinginpractice.Toaddtothat point, even people that did change theirAttitude andwere doing other things to saveenergy, theydidonlysometimesturnthestandbyoff.Butwhy is that?AccordingtoSparks(2017:40 fromChu,199:39), “the implicit theoreticalpremise is [that]whengiven relevantinformationaboutanewpractice…theaudiencewilllikelyabandontheoldinfavourofthenew,providedthatthenewpracticeisseentobemorerewarding”.Inreality,knowingabouttheneedtoswitchoffthestandbyanditsbenefitsdidnotseemtobeenoughtomakepeopledoit.Whattendstohappenwithbehaviouralchangeisthatweassumethatpeoplearelinear,buthumansarecomplexandswitchingoffthestandbyisjustaminorthingtheyneedtodobetweenathousandotherthings.Firstly, it is important to take into account that for themost part, the households involvedconsumeverylittleenergyinthefirstplace,muchlessthantheaveragehousehold.Thismeanswe need to be aware of the interplay between restricting energy use and energy efficientbehaviour.

Secondly, it is necessary to be cautious and, rather than looking to encourage vulnerablehouseholdstoreducetheirenergyconsumptionasawhole,ananalysisofhouseholdthoughtsand behaviours highlights the importance of delivering advice that can encourage positiveenergy efficient behaviours to reduce consumption and also support households in notdecreasingtheirconsumptioninareaswhereharmfulornegativerationingpracticesarebeingenacted.Thirdly, whilst behaviour change advice can enable some positive savings to be made (asevidentfromtheresultsoftheproject),ifenergysavingsaretobealignedwithenergypovertyalleviation then interventions should includea range ofmeasures and activities, that couldenablehouseholdstousetheenergyrequiredforcomfortandwellbeingwithoutunnecessarilyover-consuming.Itisalsoessentialtonotethatmeasuringsuchinterventionsonlybyenergysavingsachievedcouldhidethecomplexrelationshipbetweenenergy-savingandenergypovertyreduction,andnecessitatesanacknowledgementofadditional,positiveoutcomessuchasincreasedcomfort,warmthandwellbeinginvulnerablehouseholds.Itcouldalsoreduceriskofillnesswithinahouseholdbyeducatingconsumersaroundtheimportanceofmaintainingadequatethermalcomfort,especiallywherechildrenandolderareinvolved.Ideally,suchinterventionpackageshave to include: behaviour change advice, energy efficiency measures (installed thanks togrants or financial aid as we did through the energy savings kit given in France), incomemaximisation advice and energy debt alleviation, and further advice around supplier/tariffswitchingandpaymentoptions.

Whentheprojectiscarriedoutinthesameregion,aneighbourhoodoragroupofbuildingsasitwasinFranceandSpain,theimpactoftheprojectisreinforcedbytheemulationbetweenthehouseholds due to the feeling of participating in a collective action. The impact is all thestronger if the engagement is carried out by a local actor, well established, recognized,appreciatedintheneighbourhoodandbeingveryclosetotheinhabitants.

Finally,thesmall-scalepilotallowedustotestengagementtools.Telephoneadvicedoesnotseemtobepreferredontheonehandbecausehouseholdsarenotalwayseasilyreachableandontheotherhandtheymayfearthatthecallcomesfromcreditorclaimingpaymentofadebt.Reversely,theadvicethroughSMSorWhatsAppposts,asithasbeentestedinFranceandSpain,waswellperceivedbythehouseholds,becausetheyareabletoidentifywhoisaddressingthemessage,what thepreviousmessagewas,andtheycananswerasynchronouslyatanytime.Overall,themosthelpfulformatofadvicedeliveryfromtheperspectiveoffrontlineadvisors



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andhouseholdsthemselveswasthecombinationofenhancedface-to-faceadvice,theprovisionofwritten/digitalinformationresourcesandtools,andthetelephoneaftercareservice.Offeringadviceinmultipleformatsmeantparticipantswithvaryingneedsandvulnerabilitiescouldfindthebestwayofaccessinginformationtosuitthem.

2.2 Recommendations

Whatsupportmeasurescouldthevariousstakeholdersdeveloptoincreasetheenergysavingsandimpactofconsumptioninformationtools?Stakeholdersatbothlocalandnationallevelshaveakeyroletoplayinsupportingtheroll-outofsmartmeters,incontributingtotheirsuccessandensuringthatinformation-basedservicesleadtoenergysavingsExperience gained on information feedbacksshowsthatsupportactionsfromlocalandnationalstakeholders are necessary to ensure that themeterandassociatedconsumptioninformationisusedandadoptedbyhouseholds.Examples of support activities include:communication and awareness-raising, energyliteracyprograms,improvingbilling,community-based actions such as local challenges orneighbourhoodcomparisons…Inparticular,localstakeholders(localauthorities,NGOs, social landlords, social workers, etc.) canset up new actions during the roll-out phase, ordirecthouseholdstowardsexistingenergysavingprogrammes.Stakeholderscantakepartincommunicationaround themeter. Giving timely informationand being clear about what consumers andcitizensshouldexpectiskeytosuccessCommunicationaboutthemetershouldcallandmaintainusers’attentionbyinformingthemaboutthefeaturesandservicesthatwillbeprovidedtotheminthefuture.Abalancemustbestruckbetween:

• On theonehand, communicationabout themeter itself. It shouldnotholdanyemptypromises and highlight the immediate benefits to users, in order to establish trustbetweenhouseholdandtheoperatorsinchargeofroll-out.

• Ontheotherhand,communicationaboutthewiderchallengesandupcomingchangesintheenergysector.Itshouldexplainhowthesechangeswillaffectconsumersandtheirrelationshipwithoperators,inordertoensuretheyunderstandthechallengesthemeterswill help to overcome, and the reasons why they need to adapt their consumptionpractices.Communicationshouldconveythemessagethatsocietyinitsallismobilisingaroundenergy.

Communicationshouldstartbeforeroll-outandbedeliveredatkeyoccasionsduringtheroll-outprocess.Withinthisprocess,installationofthemeterinpeople’shomeisakeystagethatbearstheriskofuseralienationifitispoorlymanaged,particularlyintermsofcommunication.

Feedback from frontline workers involved indelivering SMART-UP in theUK indicated thatthis package of advice could be furtherimproved upon by delivering the interventionasclosetothetimewhenhouseholdsreceivedasmartmeteraspossibleandprovidingamoreholistic intervention that could covermultipleaspects of a household’s relationship withenergy and theenergymarket (not just smartmeters). Furthermore, including additionaladvicedeliveryformatswouldallowevenmorehouseholdstobeengagedbytheproject(suchas producing digital content that could beviewedonlineoronthetelevision).At the same time, frontline workers raisedconcernsaroundthepromotionofsmartmeterstovulnerablehouseholdsatatimewhensmartmeter functionality may not allow them toswitch suppliers in order to access the bestdeals. Importantly, they also picked up onchanges that energy suppliers shouldimplementinordertobettermeettheneedsofvulnerable energy consumers - includingdeliveringmoredetailed,tailoredandeffectiveadvice at point of installation. Future advicedeliverywouldneedtotakethisintoaccount.



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Theinstallerneedstobetrainedinthetechnicalaspectsaswellastherelationalaspectsandintermsofcommunicationaroundtheproject.Theyneedtodeliveracoherent,positivemessage.Who should communicate? The question of the nature of themessenger is important. The"right"messenger(i.e.themessengerwhoisthemostcapableofcreatingapositiveattitude)willnotnecessarilybethesameineachcommunity.Localcontextsshouldthereforebetakenintoaccount,howeverthereisnodoubtthatsocialworkerscouldprovidetargetedsupporttotheenergypoorcohort.Support programmes led by stakeholders should be coordinated. Since they requiresignificanthumanresourcesandtime,focusingontargetcohortsorhouseholdsiskeyA major benefit of community-level programmes is that they allow for social interaction,assistanceandmoralsupport,aswellasemulation,promptingandsocialpressure.Theseareefficientdriversofchangeofconsumptionpracticesinthedomesticsector,andtheSMART-UPcasestudiesshowthattheseinterventionscanleadtosignificantenergysavings.Theirfinancialand resource cost can however, be relatively high. Consequently, itmay be wise to targetthroughtheseactionsthehouseholdsthatarehighconsumers,orwhichfavourinitiativesledat the community level rather than at household level individually. Indeed, as has beenobservedinFrance,thefactthattheactiontookplaceinthesameneighbourhoodandthatitwaspresentedtothehouseholdsasacollectiveaction,thishasmadeitpossibletostrengthentheexchangesbetweenhouseholdsandtheemulation.

For greatest possible efficiency, all support programmes aiming to promote energysavingsmustbecoordinatedatlocallevel,bearinginmindthatthe"stacked"programmesarethosewhichseemtoofferthebestoutlook.

Information-basedservicesarealsoparticularlyinterestingwhentheytakeplaceinsomeofthe stakeholders’widerenergy-saving strategies.For instance, they cancomplementactiontakenbyasociallandlordtoimprovetheperformanceofbuildingsandinstallations.

In the UK, NEA found that trustedintermediaries are well equipped with thenecessary knowledge and skills to reassure,educate, advise and guide householders, andwithout this here is a risk that vulnerableconsumerswill, at best,miss out or, atworst,self-ration. The SMART-UP training that wasdelivered in theUK throughpartnershipswashighlysuccessfulinengagingfrontlineworkersontheissueofthesmartmeterrollout,andinenabling them to effectively communicateadvicearoundusingasmartmeterandIHDtothehouseholdsthattheyworkwith.NEAwouldtherefore recommend a continued and widerroll-outofsimilartrainingtofrontlineworkerslikelyinneedoffurthersupporttoengagewithand make themost of their smart meter andIHD.



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How canwe identify the various userprofiles? How canwe communicate to each ofthem?There is not one singlehouseholdwhen it comes to energy consumption.Therefore,there should be more than one actiondevelopedtohelpthemsaveenergyHouseholds have different capacities andmotivationswhenitcomestoadoptinglow-energypractices.

Thehouseholds’ ability to take action toreducetheirenergyconsumptionmay, inparticular,beseverelylimitedby:

• Thefactthattheyhavelowconsumptionfrom the beginning (households with alimited energy usage, already low-consuming households for economicreasons…),

• The set-up of the dwelling and itsequipment (heating, hot waterproduction)whichmay limitwhat theycanactuallydo,

• Constraints related to the needs offamilies and the organisation ofhousehold chores, particularly whentheyhavechildren,

• Thefactthatmeasureshavealreadybeentakentomakethehomeandinstallationsmoreefficient.

Householdsarealso "motivated" to reducetheir energy consumption to a greater orlesser extent, depending on their situation

In Italy the situation encountered by the trainedfrontline staffwhen delivering enhanced training tothevulnerableconsumerswasverydifferent:1) Households in deep energy poverty – in these

householdenergysavingisnottobeconsideredasa solution as they already have reduced to theminimum(andevenbelowtheminimumstandardthreshold). In these cases, households are wellawareoftheirconsumptionsand,compatiblewiththeireconomicsituation,havealreadyeliminatedallenergywastes.Usuallyinthesecases,therearemarginstoreduceenergyconsumptionrelatedtoold appliances or inefficient conditions of theapartment – however both these interventionsrequire a sum of money which the householdcannot dispose. In these households usually theenergycontractinforceisthemostconvenientonthemarket.

2) Householdsinenergypovertyoratriskofenergypoverty – these households are in a conditionsimilartothecaseabovebuttheremaybemarginsto eliminate energy wastes and there may bemargins to make some small energy efficientinvestments (such aschanging the light bulbs oreven buying a new efficient appliance). In thesefamilies there may bemargins to reduce energyexpensesbyswitchingenergycontractsasinsomecasestheoneinforceisnotthemostcompatibletotheenergyuseinthehousehold.

3) Vulnerablehousehold–inthesehouseholdsthereusually are margins to reduce energyconsumptionsandenergycostsasthevulnerabilityisduetosocialratherthaneconomicreasons.

According to this diversified situation, also theenhancedtrainingandthesupportmeasuresprovidedby the frontline staff should be customized to thespecific“energypoor/vulnerable”segment.In general, frontline stakeholders should be moreengaged in delivering information on smart metersandenergyefficient–savingmeasurestotheoveralltarget.SincethestartofSMART-UP,furthertotheSMART-UPpilot, other pilots and initiatives have beenimplemented to tackle energy poverty showing theincreasing phenomena in Italy. However, theinitiativesarecarriedoutonindividualbasisandnotin a systematic and coordinated manner and notalways with the involvement of frontline staff. Acoordinated and systematic plan to tackle energypovertyshould increase the impactof the initiativeswithouttheneedtoreinventthewheelandfrontlinestaff should have a key role as they are the oneworkinginfield.

Aqualitativeanalysiswouldhavebeenveryusefulto follow the secondquestionnaire. The researchhelpedustoseewhatisalreadyknowninresearchmethods, that sometimes numbers just indicatepartof theanswerbutdon’tgive thefullpicture.For instance, when asking if households wereconcernedaboutpayingthebillsduetoeconomicconcernsorenvironmentalconcernsjustprovidesinformation about these two specific terms butdoes not indicate otherwhy they are specificallyworried about. In addition, it might be that ahouseholdisnotworriedaboutpayingthebillsbutbecause in order to pay them it eats less qualityfood. These will not be seen in a quantitativequestionnaire. Furthermore, asking quantitativequestions we were also shaping the answers:maybe a household would have never thoughtabout the environment but since the question isthereitanswersthatshe/heisconcernedaboutit.



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and personal values. Moreover, the nature ofmotivations for saving energy may be highlyvariable.

Thefinancialaspectisparamountforagreatpartof households, but it is not the only motivatingfactor. There may be an environmentalmotivation, a desire to respond to a new socialnorm,thatofparticipatinginacollectiveeffortforthe commongood.Energy-efficientpracticesarediffusedwhen their visible benefits aremultipleand go beyondn of the energy: practicality, timesaving, conviviality, comfort, social recognition,etc.

Acollectiveleverageinparticulardeservestobemobilizedbecauseitgivesthefeelingofworkingforawidercause.Althoughvulnerablehouseholdsareundergreaterfinancialpressurethantheothercategories,theyarenonethelesssensitiveto these motivations, which appear to be less direct. Indeed, their willingness not to bestigmatized,tobemoreintegrated,toparticipatelikeothersintheeffortsofthecommunity,aredriverstoremember.Other motivations to act which are not intrinsic but which can be put benefiting frominformation on consumption are: an attraction for the playful approaches, or for theparticipativeandcollectiveapproachescreatingsociallink.Inparticular,itseemsthatthismaybe the case in collective housing, the configuration being conducive to a certain proximitybetweeninhabitants.Alloftheseparametersexplainwhatmeasureshouseholdsareready(ornot)totaketoreducetheirconsumptioninresponsetoanenergyefficiencyprogramme(somewillchangetheirroutines,somewillpurchaseminorequipment,somewillinvestinmorecostlymeasures…)andtowhatadvicetheymaybereceptive.Programmes,messagesandservicesshouldthereforebeadaptedtothediversityofhouseholds.This diversity has to be captured prior to, or during roll-out of a programme throughquestionnaires to gain more insight into their situation and their relationship to energy.Questionsmustcover,forinstance,pastbehaviourandobstaclesstandinginthewayoftakingaction.Socio-demographiccharacteristicsarenotenoughtounderstandhouseholds’relationshiptoenergy.Themostpromisingsegmentstakeintoaccount:

• Household’srelationshiptoenergyandreasonsforaction:categoriescouldinclude,forexample:peoplewhogiveprioritytocomfortandpracticalaspectsaboveall/peoplelookingtoimproveefficiencyforagivenlevelofcomfortoragivensituation/peopleshowing high level of ecological awareness / people motivated by financialconsiderationsinallenergy-relateddecisions/peoplealreadyexperiencingshortagesorreductionincomfortbecauseoflowincome/peoplewithalowconsumptionandalackofinterestinenergy;

• Obstacles to taking action: the following aspects can, in particular be considered:dwelling's occupation status / characteristics of the home and its equipment /composition of the household / income level / time available considering lifestyle /consumptionlevel/beliefs,knowledgeandknow-how;

Ecoserveis believes that is important toempower the consumer and see it less as anumber but understand the full complexity oftheirsocialsituation.Forfutureprojectswewillneedtoshiftthequestion:“howcantheychangetheir behaviour?” to “what do we need tochange, what assumptions and what is ourbehaviour towards them?” By asking andinteractingandseeinghowcouldbemoreusefulwemightbeabletoachievemorechanges.Thatsaid, it is true that knowledge transfer haswidelyhelpedpeopleontheprojectandthatiswhyenergyconsumptionhasalsodecreased.Inaddition, users and energy agents are reallyhappy about the program. There is,nevertheless, always room for improving andthereisalsoalwaysaneedtobecriticalinordertoachieveevenbetterresults.



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• Typeofactionthehouseholdismorelikelytoundertake(investmentinequipmentversuschangeinhabits,orboth).

Onewayofhandlingthediversityofprofiles is todesignservicesandprogrammesthatcanallowpersonalisedapproaches.Anotherway is toprovide choicebetweenseveraldifferentoptions,whetherintermsofinformationchannelorinformationcontent,andtorefertothedifferentmotivationshouseholdscouldhaveintermsofenergysaving.Thecontextoffreedomisalsoimportant:bylettinguserschoosebetweenseveraldifferentservices,weelicitapositiveattitudeandadapttotheirrequests.

Amongstallthedifferenthouseholdcategories,onecategorythatappearsrelevanttoidentify,andtowardswhichspecificmeasuresshouldbetargeted,isthatofhouseholdswithhighenergyconsumption,whichhavenotyettakenanymeasurestosaveenergy.

Intermsoflow-incomehouseholds,oneneedstobecarefulwhenencouragingthemtoreducetheir energy consumptionas it ispossible that theyarealreadyconsuming lowamountsofenergy or that they feel encouraged to reduce their level of comfort in response to aninformation programme. These households generally benefit less from information-basedservices on consumption than others, especially when they already find themselves inrestrictive situations. Vulnerable households cover different profiles that have to be wellapprehendedtodefinespecificapproachintermsofsupport.



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3. Howtoenablehouseholdstotakeactionandusethesmartmeter3.1 LessonslearnedfromtheexperimentationsThispartofthereportisdevotedtothepositiveaspectsandalsothelimitsobservedintheinformationprovidedbysmartmetersandtheirabilitytogeneratemorevirtuoushouseholds’behaviours.Theprojectidentifiedanumberofbiasesandledtorecommendationstobetteraccompanyhouseholdstoreducetheirenergyconsumption.

Themainbarriers

Figure5mainbarriers

Veryoften,thecustomerwasnotabletophysicallyinteractwiththesmartmeterbecausethesmartmeterwasnotinstalledintheflatbutinthestaircaseoratthegroundfloorandsometimein the closed cupboard. So, the only optionwas trying to use the internet, which excludesinternet illiterate/digitally excluded citizens such as the elderly, consumerswith particulardisabilitiesorhealthconditions,andothervulnerablefamilies.Generally,thedigitalplatforms,createdbytheDSOsanddedicatedtoinformonenergyusages,displaytechnicalinformationthatarenotdirectlyusefulforthecustomer.

Onthatpoint,wecannotetheverystrongdifferencebetweentheUnitedKingdomandothercountriesinvolvedinSMART-UPprojectfortheuseofsmartmeter.ThisseemsmainlyduetousabilityoftheIHD.Indeed,intheUnitedKingdomaftertheextendedadvicestohouseholds,itwaspossibletonoteamoresustaineduseofthemeter,whichwasnotthecaseintheothercountries.

Physicalaccessibility

Smartmetersareofteninstalledatthebasementoronthebearingofthebuilding

Ergonomyofsmartmeters

Informationdisplayedistootechnical

Informationmustbesimpleandpractical

informationmustprovidetipstoreduceenergy

IHDcouldasolution

buthowtomaintaininterestofhouseholds

alongtimeWhataboutdigitally

excludedcitizens



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However,itisalsonotedthattheinterestofhouseholdsinmonitoringconsumptionisfadingveryquicklyovertime,soitisnecessarytofindsolutionstomaintaininterestovertime.Thiscouldhoweverrelatetothefactthatoncehouseholdsunderstandtheirenergypractices,usageandtherunningcostsofappliances(andtheyhavetakenstepstoaddressanythingtheyfeelneeds tobe addressed), theymayno longer feeltheneedtochecktheirIHDorappasfrequentlyasthey did previously – a findingwhich resonateswithother,existingstudies.

Theadviceprovidedwhenthe installationof thesmart meter was either non-existent orinsufficient to allow them households toeffectivelyusetheirmetertosaveenergy.Thereisnodoubt thatmoreneedstobedonetoprovideaccurateconsumptiondataonaregularbasisviathe smart meter, the IHD or any other mode ofcommunication,accompaniedbywrittencomments,graphs,explanationsandadviceinordertosolicitenergysavingactionsfromhouseholds.Theinformationhastobelesstechnicalandmorepracticalonhowhouseholdscandotomakesavings.Effortshavetobedoneonsmartmeters’ergonomics.

Web-basedfeedbackdisplaysontheutilitywebsitewasalsonotdeemedtobewidespreadandnotproductiveintermsofsavings.ItarguestotryIHDsinordertoascertainwhethertheycanhelpraiseawarenessofconsumption,togivethehouseholdabetterandreal-timeideaoftherelativecostofdifferenttimeandend-uses,toimproveenergyliteracyandenergymanagement,andtoalerthouseholdsofunusualusagepatternsbasedonhistoricaldata.

DuringthedevelopmentofSMART-UPtheroll-outofthesecondgenerationofsmartmetershasstartedinItaly,whichforeseesacommunicationchannelalsowiththehouseholdinordertoinstallainhomedisplayandreadtheenergyconsumptiondata.Thesesecond-generationsmartmeterscouldrepresentaveryusefultoolforhouseholdstobetterunderstandtheirenergyconsumptionandimplementbehaviouralchangestobemoreefficient.Inparallelwiththeroll-outplan,alsoanenhancedtrainingprogrammetohouseholds–especiallythoseinenergypoverty/vulnerability–shouldbecarriedout.FromtheSMART-UPexperience,AISFORdidacknowledgethestrongneedoftrainingonhouseholdenergyrelatedissuesbothinthestakeholders’staff(frontlinestaff)andinthehouseholders(exceptforthoseindeepenergypoverty).AnotherlessonlearntfromSMART-UP,especiallyfromthesmall-scalepilot,isthataone-shottrainingorenhancedadviceisnotsufficienttoengageconsumersontheirenergyconsumptionhabitsaspeopletendtogobacktotheiroldhabitsandtendtoforgetinformationonthelongrun.Thetrainingshouldbeaccompaniedbya“guiding”programmetoremindconsumersof the tipsand information– theguidingprogrammecouldbe implementedalso throughdailycommunicationchannels–suchasthebill,thewebsiteaccount,socialaccounts,WhatsAppandshortmessages,etc.However,itisimportantthattheguidingprogrammeisnotconsideredasinvasivebyconsumersotherwisethereistheriskofachievingtheoppositeresultandoffurtherdisinterestingconsumersonenergy.

When doing the second questionnaireEcoserveis found that households interactedquite a bit with the smart meters after theintervention but then they did not use it. Welearned that it is important to interact moreoften with the households and create aconnectionwiththem.Itisthankstothehumanpart that they interact more. In addition,Ecoserveis learned that it is key to askconsumersbeforehand.Knowledgetransfercanbecomplex,especiallywhenalotofinformationisgivenatonce.



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3.2 Recommendations

Whatinformation-basedservicesshouldbeofferedtohouseholdstoencouragethemtoadoptenergyefficientpracticesinthelongterm?

Information-based services on energy consumption have an impact on householdpractices,althoughnumeroussociotechnicalandculturalobstaclespreventanysimple,spontaneousadoptionoflow-energypracticesItseemsclearthatprovidingmorepreciseandfrequentinformationaboutenergyconsumptionthanwhatappearsontraditionalbillshasimpactsonhouseholds’behaviours.Indeed,theseservices catchusers’ attentionabout their energy consumption, andencourageadjustmentsandoptimisationoftheirpractices.Morepreciseandfrequentinformationhelpraiseawarenessofenergyconsumption’sweightintheexpensesofthehousehold.Toanextent,itcanevenmakeenergysavingslookmoreachievable.Provideditcomeswithpersonalisedadviceorfunlearningexperiences,itcanalsohelphouseholdslearnaboutwhattheycandotoreducetheirbill.

Thehouseholdswhoarereceptivetothisinformationandinapositiontoactoptimisetheirpractices(forexamplebyturningoffandonheatersaccordingtotheirneeds),becomemoreawareaboutenergywastage(forexample,theystartcoveringpotswithlidswhilecooking).Some of them are ready to reassess their comfort needs (by lowering the thermostat orreducingtheirconsumptionofhotwater,etc.).Thislastresponse,consistinginadaptingone’slevelofcomfortis,nevertheless,lesscommonandtendstolastforashorterperiodoftimeasitrequiresmoreeffort.

More precise and frequent information could therefore contribute to change behaviours. Itcannothoweverovercomemajorobstaclestobehaviourchangesuchasthedifficultyofusingandadjustingsometechnicalequipment,a lackofknowledgeandknow-howofhouseholds,andtheprevalenceofhygieneandcomfortsocialnorms.However, itshouldbenotedthatprovidingmore information inandof itself isnotenough.Instead,whenlookingtoengagevulnerableconsumers,thisinformationneedstobedeliveredinmultipleformatsandinwaysthathavebeentailoredtotheirparticularneeds.

Formatandinteractivitymatter.Enablingon-goinglearningWhatinformationshouldbegiventohouseholds,andhow?

Consumptionindexalone,evenprovidedonaregularbasis,isnotenough.Anyinformation-basedserviceshouldembarkhouseholdsinasatisfyingexperience,helpthemlearnstep-by-stepandofferthemtoexperimentnewwaysofdoingthingsthatdonotrequiretoomucheffortfor them.Householdsmustbe"guided"towardsnewbehaviours.Tothisend, thethreekeywordstorecallare:situating,motivating,enabling.First,servicesshouldhelphouseholdunderstandandsituatetheirconsumptioncomparedtoothers.Peoplewanttoknowthingslike:“howamIdoingonenergyconsumption?Howdoesthiscomparetotypicalconsumptionperusage?"Tothisend,itisnecessarytorelyonelementsof comparison thathouseholdwill findrelevantand fair (pasthousehold consumption,consumptionofsimilarhouseholds,typicalconsumptionofthedifferentenergyusages,etc.).Aleast,thesizeofthehouseholdanditscharacteristics(individualorshareddwelling,typeofheating…)mustbetakenintoaccountforthecomparisonwithotherhouseholds.



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Motivatingreferstotheeffortneededtocapturehouseholds’attentioninordertoencouragedeeperinvolvement.Thisshouldrelyonevidenceregardingpeople’swayofthinking,actingandmakingdecisions.

• First,tocapturehouseholds’attention,itisnecessarytomaketheinformationhighlyaccessible(inahomeenvironment,bysendingitviapostforthosewhodonotusetheinternet,etc.)andeasilyunderstandable,almost"ataglance".

• Besides,interestandpleasurecanarisefrommakingexperiments.Therefore,enablinghouseholds to discover on their own and at their own pace what they can change(through fun initiatives in particular), on a voluntary and step-by-step basis, is aninterestingoption.

• Also,encouraginghouseholdstosaveenergywiththeargumentthatothersarealreadydoing so (in other words eliciting social norms) is a very powerful incentive.Testimonialsfromthosewhohavemanagedtoreducetheirconsumptionmayalsobequiteuseful.

In fact, all these optionsmerit consideration in designing information services. Indeed, theprogrammesthattendtohavethegreatestimpactarethosewhichcombinedifferentstrategies(education,skillfuluseofsocio-psychologicalprocesses,personalinteractionsanduseofsocialnorms).Onelastkeyaspecttoconsiderintermsofmotivationisthatconsumers,whoarealsocitizens,needtheireffortstobeputinawiderperspective:"whatdomypersonaleffortsandthoseofmy neighbours contribute to collectively and what positive impact does this have on thecommunity?"

Enablingmeansgivinghouseholdspracticaladviceaboutwhattheycanreallydotoreducetheir energy consumption. This can be done through personalised advice, with dueconsiderationofeachparticularsituation(typeofhomeandequipment,compositionof thehouseholdandlevelofconsumption).Thisadvicemustberelevantandprovidedovertime,insuchawayasnottooverloadconsumerswithtoomuchinformation.

Advicecouldalsoaskhouseholdswhattheycurrentlydotosaveenergyathomeandgivethemfeedbackastowhethertheseare«positive»energysavingbehaviours,(e.g.washing-machineon eco-cycle) or whether they are behaviours that could be harmful to their health andwellbeing(e.g.notturningtheheatingonatall).Servicestohouseholdscouldalso includeadviceas to how they can make other changes to thecondition of their property/heating system thatwould enable them to reach a level ofconsumption appropriate to their needs forcomfort andwellbeing– could thisbe switchingenergysupplier,oraccessing financialgrants forenergy efficiency measures? Signpostinghouseholds to where this kind of help existslocally/nationally,andwhotheyshouldspeaktoinordertoaccessitSmart objects put in the home can act asreminders(e.g.stickersonthedoor)orenablers

Delivery of SMART-UP in the UK found thathouseholdsweremorelikelytotakeupenergy-efficient behaviours and engage with theirsmart meter and IHD according to the moretypes of advice and information formats thattheyhadaccessto(inthiscaseacombinationofenhanced face-to-face advice, the provision ofwritten information resources, and thetelephone aftercare service.) This shows thatoffering advice in different formats anddelivering itatdifferent timesand inmultiplewayscanenablehouseholdswithvaryingneedsand vulnerabilities to find the best way ofaccessing information to suit them, thusincreasingtheirlikelihoodofengagingwiththeproject.



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(e.g.showertimers):theyhelpnewpracticestotakerootandallowforsomediscussionandnegotiationwithinthehousehold.Tosumup,information-basedservicesmustcombinedifferentlevers,amongstwhich:informationprovision(justificationsandinstructions),provisionofnudgestofacilitatethepracticaladoptionofnewpracticeswithinthehome(facilitationmeasures,prompts),monitoringthroughfeedbackandrewardsystemsand,finally,useofsocio-psychologicalprocessessuchassocialmodelling(or"mimicry"),cognitivedissonanceandgoalsetting.As faras the informationchannel is concerned, there is awidevarietyofoptions (detailedbilling in paper or electronic format, dedicated in-home-display, internet portal providingaccesstomoredetailedinformation,SMSalerts,etc.).Theofferneedstoadapttothewiderangeofusersneedsandexpectations,whileaimingtodeliverahigh-qualityexperiencenomatterwhat tool is used. The performance of a particular devicewill depend on the details of itsimplementation.



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4. Howtoinvolvefrontlinestaffandimprovetheimplementationofsmart-meterroll-out

The first two parts of this report have once again shown, which has been highlightedthroughoutourproject,namely:

• Ontheonehand,theneedtorelyonlocalactorstoaccompanyvulnerablehouseholdsintheappropriationofsmartmetersandtheimplementationofenergysavingsactions,

• andontheotherhand,thatasignificanteffortstillneedstobemade,atvariousdegreesdepending on the country, to lead national and local political actors and the socialworkerstoseizetheproblemofthefightagainstenergypoverty.

Thispartofthereportdealswiththelessonswehavelearnedfromtheprojecttoengagetheseactorsandprovidethemwiththetoolstheyneedtoconductthefieldactionsthathavetobetakentostrengthenhouseholds’energyawarenessandallowthemtoconsumemoreefficientlytheenergythatisnecessarytosatisfytheircomfortandsafety.

4.1 LessonslearnedfromtheresearchIn most countries, the recruitment of socialworkers has been difficult due to the lack ofavailable time, they are often overstretched andtheirlowappetitetodealwithproblemsrelatedtoenergypoverty1. In fact, they rarelyhavea solidknowledge on energy efficiency and even lessknow the functionality of the newmeters. Someevenconsiderthatenergypovertyshouldnotuptothem,butuptoenergycompanies.

However, the interviews conducted withmanagementresponsibleforsocialorganisationsshowthattheyareincreasinglyfacedwithenergypoverty and therefore they must take it intoconsiderationandimplementthenecessaryskillstohelpthepeopleinsuchasituation.Itislargelytodeveloptheirknowledgeandenergyskillsthatmost organisations have agreed to follow thetrainingsproposedunder theSMART-UPprojectand to participate in recruitment and Energyefficiencyawarenessofprecarioushouseholds.

Interviews conducted with frontline staffhighlighted the great difficulty in identifyingvulnerablepeoplehouseholdsinallcountries.InFranceandtheUnitedKingdom,thisdifficultyhasbeenreinforcedbythelowlevelofdeploymentofcommunicatingmeters.

1Numerousother reasons couldexplain this situation in thedifferent countries.Please read reportD6.3 thatdealsmorespecificallywiththesesubject

InItaly,itwasdifficulttoengagefrontlinestaffonSMART-UPdueto2reasons:1)theywerenotaware/interestedonenergypovertyand2)theywereoverloadedwithworkandcouldnotalsodeliverSMART-UP.TheseproblemsweresolvedmainlybyreachingafinancialagreementwithinterestedstakeholdersonordertoenablethemtohavetheeconomicandpersonalresourcestodeliverSMART-UP.Once engaged on SMART-UP, the experienceshowed that frontline staff related to energytrainingandadvice:1) In most cases can be considered to be

themselvesinvulnerableconditions(duetothe heavy workload, precarious workingcontracts, low salaries) and as vulnerableconsumers they need enhanced advice onenergythemselves,

2) Once trained and delivering the enhancedadvice to vulnerable/energy poorconsumers they increased their knowledgeand became keener on their own energyconsumptionissues,

The SMART-UP experience also showed theneed of highly trustworthy relationshipbetween theSMART-UP frontlinestaffand theconsumer as energy is not a topic consumer(especiallyvulnerableorenergypoorones)areconfident to speak about mainly due to thenumerousunfairpracticesinthelastdecadeinItaly. In somecases, the trained frontlinestaffencountered difficulties in addressing andengagingvulnerableconsumersontheSMART-UPpilot.



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This led inFrancetotarget theexperimentationon a single district of Nice and in the UnitedKingdomnotbeingabletorecruittargetnumbersofhouseholds.

The social workers and other categories offrontline Staff who followed the trainingproposed by the SMART-UPproject all stressedtheimportanceofemphasizingenergyefficiencyinordertofeelcapableofprovidinggoodadviceand real solutions to households. This type oftraining should be replicated for a betterappropriationofinformation.Concerningthevisit,mostofthefrontlinestaffunderlinesthegreatdifficultyinfillinginthesection relative to the energy consumption baseline data of the questionnaire as manyconsumersdonotkeepcopiesofthepastenergybillskeepingonlycopyoftheproofofpaymentfromwhichitisimpossibletocalculatetherelativeenergyconsumptionintermsofkWh).Theotherproblemreferredtobytheoperatorswasthelengthofthequestionnairewhichistoolong.Itsplaceseemsdisproportionateformostfrontlinestaffandtendstoinstallthepersonvisitedinapassiveposture(longseriesofquestionsandanswers)thatdoesnotpromoteinitiativeorinvitationpeopletospeakabouttheproblemsexperienced.Infact,ittendstostandardizetheinterventionwhilemaking the relationship verymechanical. However, some frontline staffappreciatethistoolbecauseitremainsagoodintroductiontogoaroundthehouseandleadthehouseholdtotalkaboutitsvariousconsumptionpostsandabouttheirway-of-life.

InMalta,thereisnodoubtthatnumerousbarriersimpedethemostdeprivedtosaveenergyandcanlimiteffortstoraiseawarenessonenergyefficiency.Typicalbarrierscaninclude:§ notknowingwheretofindinformation;§ lackofdesiretoseekinformation;§ perceivedinformationoverload;§ confusionaboutconflictinginformationorpartialevidence;§ perceivedlackoflocally-relevantinformation;§ formatofinformationnotaccessibletonon-experts;§ sourceofinformationnotcredibleortrustworthy,particularlythemassmedia;§ generationaldivideinthesourcesofhomeheating/coolingamongthoseatriskoffuelpoverty;§ informationconflictswithvaluesorexperienceandisthereforeignored;§ riskaversionandconfidenceinnewtechnologiesisalsoimportanthere;§ aninherentsenseoffrugality.Indeed,thecomplexityandrigidityoftheregulationsandtheexistingpolicies,accompaniedbythenumberofdifferentservicesavailabletohelpconsumersconstituteahugeandcomplexwebofinformationwhichmovesquickly and is difficult to navigate especially for the energy poor. Social workers can help bridge thisinformation overload and assist energy poor households to make small changes to their billing andconsumption habits without inducing suppressed demand. Consequently, it is clear that specific traininginitiativesforsocialworkersorinstallerslikeSMART-UPareindeedusefulandcanhelpmakeadifference,especiallywithregardstoidentifyingobviousirregularitiesinconsumptionandbilling,andwithenablingthemtoproposemoreappropriate tariffsandencouragegoodconsumptionpracticesacross theenergypoor inorder tominimiseconsumption.TheSMART-UPmodel shows that socialworkersareperfectlyplaced fordetectingandassistingenergy-impoverishedhouseholdshowever,socialworkersarenotfamiliarwithenergyconsumptionandefficiencydetailsbutarewellequippedtohelpdeprivedhouseholdswiththeirday-to-dayproblemsandtheiroverallpredicament.Focusedtrainingcanprovidethebasicknowledgethattheyneedinordertoidentifyandtacklethecausesofvulnerabilityofthehouseholdstheyworkwithandprovidethemwithbettertoolstocarryouttheirduties.

Amajorchallengeforstakeholdersinbeingableto identify and recruit householdswas linkedwiththeprogressofthesmartmeterrolloutinthe UK, and the limited number of vulnerablehouseholds with smart meters. Althoughstakeholders continued to take a varied andpersistent approach in attempting to identifyand recruit customers throughout projectdelivery,theirabilitytodosoeffectivelycouldbe put at risk by further delays to the smartmeter roll out in theUK, and the provision ofSMETS 2 compliantmeters thatwould enablevulnerable households to still switch energysupplier.



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Itcouldbealsouseful tohaveasemi-structure interviewwithparticipantsafter thesecondquestionnaire.Whilewehavequantitativedata, this isnotenough tounderstandwhy theydon’tdosomethingsinpractice.Qualitativedataallowsustosaywhattheyaredoingandwhatthey are not doing and qualitative information could tell usWHY and how to do change it.Discusswithhouseholdsanddemonstratetothem,usingdataontheirconsumption,thattheycouldhavereducedtheirconsumptionbyapplyingtherecommendedactions.

Whiletheenergydiarytoolhasbeenverylittleusedinmostcountriesbyhouseholds,ithasbeengreatlyappreciatedbysocialworkersandcouldbeveryuseful in their futurevisits. Itcould also be appropriate for certain households suffering from digital exclusion andwhopreferpaper-basedtoolsformonitoringtheirconsumption.

EnergypovertyinMalta:anewtopic

Since the topicofenergypoverty isa relativelynewtopic forMaltaandnot reallyon theagendaof localgovernance,PiMspentaninordinateamountoftimetryingtoconvinceMinistryofficialsabouttherelevanceofthiseffort.However,thankstoEUpromptinginrelatedforaandtheadded-valueofferedbySmart-UP,theMinistry for theFamilyand Social Affairsand theMinistry of EnergyandWaterwere quick to grasp theopportunityoncetop-levelclearancewasobtained.

Trainingwastypicallyorganisedover3-hoursessionsinordernottodisrupttheirday-to-dayoperationsandnotoverwhelmthemwithinformation.Theteachingmaterialinvolvedamixbetweenclassnotes,powerpointpresentations,andnumerouspracticalexamplestorunwithattendees.Practicalexamplesincludedhowtodoquickwalk-throughsinvulnerablehouseholds,howtointerpretthebills,howtousethesmart-meter,howto read energy labels on appliances, how to complete the necessary questionnaires, obtaining informedconsentpapertrail,andtypicalenergyefficiencymeasures.ThetrainingsessionwithLEAPwasover4dayswith3to4hourspersession.Itisinterestingtopointoutthatinmostcases,socialworkersknewverylittleaboutenergyefficiencyandtheirsmartmetersthemselves.

Dataprotectionisalsoamajorissueespeciallywhendealingwiththiscohort,andgovernmententitiessimplycannot be expected to share private data of vulnerable householdswith 3rd parties unless the necessaryconsent formsareput inplace.Consequently, theonly legalandpractical solutionremains to trainsocialworkers,whointurncanactasagentsofchangedirectlywithinthehouseholdstheyvisit.Similarly,anydatacollatedmustbeprecededwithclearinformedconsentthatissensitivetoilliteracyandpotentialguardians’approvalapriori.Anydatacollatedshouldonlybepresentedinaggregatewith3rdpartiesinordertoensurenoprivatedataisrecognisable.

Similarattentionisalsorequiredtowardsensuringdeprivedhouseholdsdonotabsorbthestigmaattachedtopoverty,partiallyduetoitssocialimplications,andwhichcouldkeepmanyofthesestrugglinghouseholdsreluctanttoidentifythemselvesaspoorandrefusingaid.

Itisalsonotedthatinmostcasessocialworkersstruggletogainthetrustofthesehouseholdswhoarealwayssuspiciousofdatagatheringorattemptstogainaccesstoprivatedatawhicharetypicallyconstruedasanattempttoreducetheirbenefits.Maintainingthesamecontactpersonorsocialworkercangoa longwaytowards building trust and amutual dependencywith the households. Furthermore, there is a real riskespecially inMaltathatenergyefficiencyeffortsmightactually leadtoasuppresseddemand,withseriouscollateral damage to thermal comfort and quality of life. This must be kept in mind all throughout anyinterventionssoastomakesureagoodlevelofthermalcomfortandlivingstandardismaintained.The combination of social workers dealing with the most deprived via the existing and formal FEADprogramme,andintheirownhomes,provedtobeanexcellentgatewaytothesehouseholds.Thetrainingprovided helped sensitise social workers to this new reality in energy poverty, and also helped raiseawarenessamongstpolicymakerslocally.Similarly,thecombinationoftechnicalstafffromEWAlookingatthetechnicalmeritsofthehousehold,inconjunctionwiththesocialworkers,helpedaddressnotjustenergyuseinthehouseholds,butalsoprovidedhandsontrainingonhomeauditsandenergyusetothesocialworker.Thishelpedincreaseconfidenceinprovidingadvice,andaugmentedthetrainingprovidedwithpracticalworkinthehomes.



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4.2 Recommendations

Identifyinghouseholds:aterritorialapproach

It is possible to rely on the analysis of social needs as a tool for observing situations ofprecariousness, including energy poverty. To refine its knowledge of the phenomenon ofenergypovertyandtheproblemsspecifictoaterritory,asetofdatacanalsobecollectedtoquantifyandqualifythephenomenon:

• Statisticsonincomesandonthehousingofinhabitants• Datafromenergysuppliers,inparticularonunpaidenergy• Dataonaidallocatedforenergyandhousing,• Informationonthesituationoftenantsofsocialhousing.

Thequantitativedataaretobesupplementedbytheneedsobservedbythefrontlinestaff.

IndicatorsforobservingenergypovertyintheTerritory

Quantitativeindicators QualitativeIndicators/Fieldfindings

Lowincome • % of households below (or on the

brinkof)thepovertyline• Number of beneficiaries of social

assistance• Numberofoverdebtcases• Tenure

Energycost

• Number of households benefitingfromsocialtariffs

• Number of unpaid energybills/amountoffueldebt

• Numberofenergydisconnection• Number of households spending

morethan10%oftheirresourcesonenergyexpenditure

• Copingbehaviours• Difficulties in comparing the

offersofenergysuppliers• Difficulties in understanding

theenergybillandlinkingwithconsumerpractices

• Educational needs on energyconsumption

Poorthermal

qualityof

housing

• %oftheoldhousingstock• % of the rental housing with an

energylabelE,ForG• Typeofheatingsystemandfuel• Rural/Urbanlocation

• Presence of energy-inefficientequipment in the housing,auxiliaryheating

• Poorinsulation• Feelingofcoldinthehousing,

humidity,mould



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Theidentificationofhouseholds:

What Means Use to identify vulnerablehouseholds?Identificationbysocialpartners

Raise awareness and inform socialworkers andpartners (meetings, information booklets,sending a newsletter, etc.) on the possibility ofdirectingpeopletotheplatform:

• The various social services of the localauthorities...

• TheAssociations• Socialpartners• The municipal councillors and the

secretariatsoftownhalls(especiallyontheruralterritories)

• Home help services, including for mealdelivery, remote alarm operators, energysuppliers

LocatingHousingAssistanceServices

FacilitatetheorientationtowardstheenergybillsPaymentsupportService:

• The analysis of these applications is an effective means of detecting excessiveconsumption (which may be due to poor equipment or insufficient insulation) anddifficultiesinpayingthebillenergy,sometimesinarecurringway

SendingtargetedmailSendtargetedmailsofinformationtoacategoryofpopulationlikelytobeinenergypoverty:

• Publicspottedduetounpaidenergy,waterand/orrentandcharges,inpartnershipwithenergyandwatersuppliersorsociallandlordswhoregularlytransmittosocialservicesthelistsofpersonswithunpaidbills

• Elderlypeopleparticularlyvulnerable

Communicatingwiththegeneralpublic

Provideseveralchannelsofcommunication:

• Articlesinthepressandinthemunicipalbulletins• InterventionsintheLocalMedia• Theavailabilityofflyersinplacesofexpectationofthestructuresfrequentedbypeople

insituationsofenergypoverty

Adhocoutreachoperations

Launchawareness-raisingeventsonenergycontrolandcollectiveworkshopswiththegeneralpublic,inparticulartoidentifyindividualsinterestedinadiagnosisandindividualguidanceontheseissues,bymobilizingtheterritory'sexpertpartnersforenergyinterventions.

Inordertoeffectivelyidentifyhouseholds,moreeffective mechanisms for identifying andtargeting vulnerable consumers who mayrequire additional support with using andunderstanding their smart meter/IHD arerequired. Government could consider howpossibilities presented by the new DigitalEconomyAct couldenableenergysuppliers tosharedatawithtrustedlocalpartners(suchaslocal authorities, housing associations) onhouseholds with smart meters installed (andthedateofmeterinstallation).Local authorities and housing associationscould therefore overlap data on known smartmeter installationswith information on othervulnerabilities (low income, fuel poverty, age,tenure) to identify which households mayrequireadditionalandenhancedsupport.Thiswould allow additional resources neededtobetargetedmoreeffectivelyandefficientlysothattheyreachthosewhoaretrulyinneed.



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Door-to-doorapproaches

Indifficultneighbourhoods,itisworthwhiletoworkinpartnershipwithlocalassociations,NGOs,etc.,wellknownandappreciatebyinhabitants,togototheirhomeandtomakethemconfident.

Howtomobilizestakeholdergroupsforthetracking?

Themobilizationofstakeholdersneedstotakeplaceatanappropriatetime,ensurethattheyhaveanawarenessofenergypovertyissues,andcontinuallyworktoengagethem.Itisalsoimportanttoworkontheperceptionsthatpeoplecanhaveoneco-gestures,suchaseducatingsocialworkerstounderstandhowenergypovertyrelatestotheirmissionandincreasetheirknowledge of indicators to energy vulnerability. This will increase their ability to identifyhouseholdsinneedofhelpandtomakeappropriatereferrals.

Apositiveoutcomeistoprovideconcretesolutionstosocialworkersandbuildrelationshipsoftrustwiththemfollowingthedeliveryoftraining,sharetheSharinganalysisoftheresultsofthehomevisitwiththesocialworkerwhodirectedtheperson(withtheconsentoftheperson)couldencouragedcontinuedstakeholderengagement,byreinforcingthepositivemessageandimpactoftheprojecttothem

Inaddition,sharingpracticaltoolsmakesiteasiertomobilizepartners.Thefactthatconsentforms,questionnairesandtheadviceitselfarecompletedfacetofacewiththehouseholdmeansthat they can engagedirectlywithhouseholds, and tailor their approach to theirparticularneeds.Thismeanstheyaremorelikelytotakeupthebehavioursbeingdiscussed.

Whatmediaandtoolsfordetectionandcommunication?Severalusefultoolsfortrackingandmonitoringcanbedeveloped:

• Acommunication/flyerinformationonthedeviceforusersandprofessionals• Atrackingcardforprofessionals• Awarenessandtrackingtoolsforprofessionals• Atableformonitoringenergyconsumption(energydiary)toidentifysituationsofover-

consumption• Facilitatorsoftheinformationmeetingsofthepartners.

Convincingdecisionmakers

Launchingaprojecttocombatenergypovertyrequirestheaccessionandinvolvementofactorsinthefieldandsocialworkersandimpliesastrongawarenessandpoliticalwill.Forthis,itisimportanttoidentifythebarriersadvancedbydecision-makers,especiallyonthefinancialandorganizationalaspects,andtofindtheargumentstoconvincethem(whichmaydependonthesensitivityofthemanagers).



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Thebarriers Theargumentstolaunchtheproject/conditionsofsuccess

The Social organisationsdo not have the staffcapacity, the teams arealreadywelloverbooked.

• Workingatconstantmeans,reorganizingandprioritizingthemissionsoftheteam

• Opportunity to work on the team organization and therationalizationofthemeans

• Projectthatpromotesandmotivatesteams• Reorganizationoftimewithlesstimeoncurativeactionsand

moretimeonpreventativeactions

The action is too costly,social agencies havelimitedfinancialmeans.

• Avoidedcosts:long-termpreventiveactionscouldreducetheamountofcurativeaids,andthusthebudgetofaidgrantedtoprecarioushouseholdsinthetitleofsocialaidandhealthexpenditurewhileimprovingtheirLivingconditions

• Startsmall,withamodestandrealisticprojectandtoadjustasyougo

Theactiontargetsonlyasmall number ofinhabitants.

• GoalofreachingmorethanPeopleandfightagainstnon-Use• Totargettheaccompanimentonthoseneeditmost• Conductgeneralpublicawarenessactions• Quality over quantity of interventions to make a real and

lasting difference with households and help preventadditionalcurativeactionsinfuture

Energy poverty is not atopicforsocialworkers.

• Subjectthatisbecomingincreasinglyimportantwhichmustbeseizedbeforebeingobligedtodounderpressureandinanemergencysituation

• Project in connection with the ecological commitment ofCities

• Impactonsocialtiesinneighbourhoods• Energy poverty is intimately related to the health and

wellbeingofahousehold• Energypovertyasanissueofsocialequity• Poorhousingandsocial vulnerabilityare topicsof interest

forsocialworkers

In UK, SMART-UP is closely aligned with the objectives of housing association and third sector partnerorganisations in terms of fuel poverty, energy efficiency, sustainability, and enabling tenants to remaincomfortableanddebtfreeintheirhomes.Forsome,thereisaclearbusinesscaseinbeingabletohelptenantsbecomemoreenergyefficient(intermsofmaintenanceofthehousingstock).Asthefirstpointofcallfortenantsin relation to changes to their properties, partners also felt that the project would enable them to betteranticipateandrespondtoqueriesandrequestsforsupport.ThealignmentbetweenstakeholderobjectivesandthoseofSMART-UPacrossmultipleavenuessuggeststhatHousingAssociationscouldbewellplacedtodeliversimilarinterventionsinfuturetosocialhousingtenants.Whilstcharitypartnersmaybewellplacedtoengageanddeliverinterventionstoprivatesectorhouseholds(rentedandowneroccupier),thereisthepotentialforotherpartnerswhomightlooktodeliverinterventionsforsimilarreasonstothoseofthehousingassociationpartners(fuelpovertyalleviation,assetmaintenance, improvingabilitytoprovidesupportandadvice)tobeengaged.Involvingorganisationssuchas localauthoritiesandPrivateLandlordAssociationscouldmaximiseopportunitiestoreachthistargetgroup.



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Trainingofsocialworkers

Firstofall, itisnecessarytorecallthatthemaincompetence of social workers is social. Indeed,theygenerallyhavefewtechnicalskillsandforacertain number of them thatwe hope as lowaspossible, unwilling to acquire themspontaneously. It is therefore important to givethematechnicalexpertiseandacommonculturewith other professionals acting to fight energypoverty.Itisnecessarytoaccompanythemby:

• Specific training courses to accompanyhouseholdsinsituationofenergypoverty

• Generaltrainingonissuesfromtheenergypoverty

• Training/Informationontracking

Focusontrainingfordiagnosissocio-technicalInordertoenablethefrontlinestafftocarryoutsocio-technicaldiagnosesathomeofhouseholdsin situation of energy poverty, they should beenable:

• To provide key to understanding energypoverty

• To acquire communication techniques adapted to visit a household at home and toprovideadviceonhowtomanageitsenergyconsumption

• Learn to assess the socio-economic situationof the household, its lifestyle and dailypracticesbyexchangingwithfamilymembers

• To knowhow to identify themainwater andenergy consumptions in a dwelling bycollectinginformation(energydiary)andusingmeasuringdevicesfortemperatureperexample,

Howtoconductadiagnosis

Several options for the organization of thediagnosiscanbechosen,dependingon:

• Theobjectivespursuedbytheaction,• The profile and needs of the people to

meet,• Theskillsoffrontlinestaff• Thebudgetdedicatedtothediagnosis

Ecoserveis’ recommendation is that for futureeditions,socialworkers,peoplethatalreadygotothevulnerablehousesaretrainedinenergyefficiency. In that sense, they can help thevulnerable consumers and help them do thethingsinpractice.

InUK,Frontlineworkersinvolvedintheprojectwerekeen toseeacontinuationofSMART-UPtraininggoingintothefuture,inordertoensurea continuation of advice provision tohouseholds. Indeed, stakeholders had foundrealvalueinthetrainingtheyreceivedthroughSMART-UPandgaveexamplesofhowthishadbenefitted them to delivery services tovulnerabletenants.At the same time, the variation in the type ofsmartmeterscurrentlyavailableintheUKcouldcomplicate the extent towhich someadvisorscouldpracticallyapplytheknowledgetheyhadgainedduringtheirtraining.Thissuggeststhattrainingcoursesmightbenefitfromaninclusionof a broader range of smart meter types.Additionally, the energy regulator couldconsidertheimplicationsofaninconsistentrollout intermsofthetypeofsmartmetersbeingprovided to customers (and their capabilities)goingforward.

The slow but increasing appropriation of thenotion of energy poverty by socialworkers inFrancereferstoafeelingofbeinghelplessinthefaceofenergypoverty,ofhavingtoaccompanysocialsituationswithouttheleversofaction.Unable to act on the root causes (poverty,energy prices, state of housing, obligations ofthelandlord,...),theyhavetheimpressionthattheirmethodsofinterventionarenotsufficienttobringthesolutionsthathouseholdsexpect.Thisfeelingofhelplessnessisreinforcedbythelackoftechnicalskills,bythemultiplicationoftheir tasks,by thearrivalofnewnon-clienteleclients of the social action and by thecumbersomeinterventionprocedures.



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Question OrganizationOptions

Contentofthediagnosis

• Globaldiagnosis:On the social andbudgetary situationofthehousehold,onhousingandonenergyconsumption

• Diagnosis Socio-Technical Focused on housing, issues ofenergyconsumptionandequipment

Locationofdiagnosis• Diagnosis made during an appointment at the agency's

premises• Diagnosissystematicallyperformedduringahomevisit

Skillsmobilized• Doublecompetenceof(s)Expert(s):Socialandtechnical• Doublecompetenceof(s)Expert(s):Socialandlegal• Competenceinenergyefficiency

However,inMalta,socialworkerscanprovidesupportandassistanceiftheyundertakethefollowingprocess:§ Trainabroadrangeofrelevantfrontlinestaffinenergyefficiency,fuelpovertyandmaximisationofincome.§ Identifythoselivinginfuelpovertyaccordingtostrictmetrics;§ Provide relevantandpersonalized information to individuals andhouseholds related to their bill, smart

meterandenergyuse;§ Identifymajorenergyoffendersoruncharacteristicbillissues;§ Watchoutfordiscrepanciesbetweenthisyear’saveragesandlastyears;§ Help households make sure that they are registered correctly on their ARMS bills, are being charged

accordingtotherightrate,andtoassistthemcompileupdateformsforARMS;§ Raiseawarenessofthefinancialsupportforfuelpaymentsavailable§ Provideadvice,information,andreferralstootherservicesforfuelpoorhouseholds;§ Continueinvestmentinsocialhousingimprovementworks.§ Enforceprivaterentedsectorstandards§ Ensuretheenergyefficiencyofnewbuilds.



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Inconclusion

Tofacilitatetheimplementationofsuchaproject,tostrengthenitslegitimacyandtoassistinthe recruitment of precarious households, it seems important to get closer to the localauthorities,aswasthecasewiththecityofBarcelonainSpain,and/orSocialhousinginthecaseofNice(France).Identifying and engaging with stakeholders who are known and trusted by vulnerableconsumers was also crucial to the success of a project. Where this was most successful itincludedboth‘topdown’and‘bottomup’support,e.g.supportatseniorstrategiclevelfollowedbythecommitmentanddedicationoffrontlineworkersundertakingtraininganddeliveringadvice.Focusingactivityonaparticularcommunity,buildingorotherdefinedgroup/area,asinSpainand France, also helped with recruitment; as did incorporating recruitment within wideroutreach activities. Door-to-door engagement worked but only when undertaken byrepresentativesfromorganisationsthatwerealreadyknowntothehousehold.

Overall the stakeholders who worked on SMART-UP to deliver the interventions tohouseholders felt that the project had been worthwhile especially in terms of increasedknowledgeoftheenergysector,andincreasedcompetencyinsupportingvulnerable/energypoorcustomers.Indeed,wehaveseen,almostsimilarly,inthedifferentcountriesthatsocialworkersareoftenparticularlyuncomfortablewithenergyissues.Thisisallthetruerwithregardtosmartmeters.ThisiseasilyexplainedinFranceandtheUnitedKingdomwherethedeploymentofmetershadjustbegun.ThetrainingscarriedoutwithintheframeworkoftheSMART-UPprojectmadeitpossibletomakethemmoreconfidentonthesesubjectsandmoreabletoofferwiseadviceandrelevantsolutions.Thisrespondedtotheirneedtobeabletoactuallyhelphouseholds.

Inadditiontotraining,itisimportanttoprovidesocialworkerswithtoolstobettercharacterizethesituationsencountered(check-listofpointsofvigilance)andtoassesspossiblereasonsforoverconsumptions observed (energy diary) or on the contrary to situations of excessiverestrictionlikelytocauseharmfulimpactsoninhabitants’health.Anotherdifficultywehavefacedisthecollectionofenergyconsumptioninformation.Infact,veryoftenthemetersareinaccessibleordifficulttoreach,householdsdonotkeeptheirbills,oftenreceivedbyemailanddonotalwaysgiveaccesstotheactualconsumption.Householdsandsocialworkersarenotalwaysabletoidentifyenergyconsumption.Thishasbeenreflectedon theonehandbya smallnumberofdata collectedanda relative lowqualityof thedatacollected.ThepathexperiencedinFrancethroughthecollaborationoftheDSOseemstohavetobeprivileged.Afterwrittenauthorizationfromtheheadofthehousehold,theconsumptiondataweredirectly collected from theDSO,whichallowsaccess toreliabledataand limitederrorsofseizureandcopying.

Another notable lesson relates to the visits to household housing. In the first place, it isimportant toemphasize theneed toestablisha relationshipof confidencewithhouseholds,hence the importance that stakeholders are well-known, legitimate and recognized byhouseholds.secondly,theinterventionshouldbeabletobecarriedoutovertimeandprovideseveralvisits,tostrengthentheprivilegedlinkswiththehouseholds,toallowthedisseminationofinformationinsmallernumbers,inordertofacilitatetheirappropriationandtobeable,overtime,tohelphouseholdstotakeownershipofadvice,putthemintopracticeandfinallychangetheirbehaviour.



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Lastly, it seems to us also important for future projects to develop next to quantitativeapproach,aqualitativeapproachtoallowbuildingonthequantitativedataandexpandingittodoanin-depthanalysisofthebehaviourchange,improvementoflivingconditionsandenergysavings.

For that, more effective mechanisms for monitoring and tracking energy consumption ofhouseholdsareneededforevaluationpurposesandtobeabletoevidencetheimpactofenergyefficiency/smartmetering interventions. In addition,more effectivemeasurement tools arerequired for evidencing the impact of carbon reduction interventions in energy poorhouseholds. Governments could consider how possibilities presented by the new DigitalEconomy Acts could enable data sharing agreements (between suppliers, households andtrusted local intermediaries) to historic and on-going consumption data of households inreceipt of interventions to enable impact of behaviour change and energy efficiencyinterventions to be more effectively demonstrated. Funders and commissioners of energyefficiencyandsmartmeteringinterventionscouldtakeintoaccountthefactthatenergypoorhouseholds may take gains from positive energy saving behaviours as increased thermalcomfortathome(andthereforeincreaseconsumptionelsewhere).Outcomemeasurementsofsuchinterventionswouldneedtotakeimprovementstohealth,wellbeingandreductionsinoverallenergyvulnerabilityintoaccount.Outcomemeasurementandreportingrequirementswouldalsoneedtobeupdatedaccordingly.

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