Jamie Agombar, Ethical

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Students in halls saving energy and changing
behaviour
Jamie Agombar, Ethical Environmental Manager,
NUS Services Dr Neil Jennings, Coordinator,
Student Switch Off
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Halls - in terms of carbon

• 2.3 million students (UK HE)
• 22 in halls (506,000 bed spaces)
• 348,000 HEI / 158,000 private
• Halls on English HEIs 73.5m, 401,315 tCO2
• (250m total, 29.5)
• 1.8 million students (England HE)
• Per bed space 185 1.01 tCO2
• Total UK spend for halls 94m 513,000 tCO2

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Halls - in terms of behaviour

• Of 506,000 bed spaces, 44.5 (225,170) are
  first year
• students
• Often living away from home for the first time
• Virtually all halls charge a fixed rent
  inclusive of utilities
• A lack of incentives clear disincentive.
• Habit discontinuity hypothesis (Verplanken et
  al., 2008)
• Superb opportunity to green UK population!

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Five mechanisms of encouraging pro-environmental
behaviour
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1) General awareness campaigns

• Stickers by light switches
• Freshers packs
• Student-targeted media work
• In general, informational approaches alone can
  result in
• up to 9 cuts in energy use (Maibach et al.,
  2008)

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2) Peer-to-peer encouragement

• Environmental student champions
• Student ambassador scheme at the University of
  Bradford
• Student environment reps at Durham University
• Student green rep scheme at Leeds University
• University of Manchester / Global Action Plan
• In general, social and persuasive approaches
  have been
• shown to be reasonably effective in producing
  behaviour
• change in relation to environmental issues
  (Gardner
• Stern, 2002)

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3) Low-carbon buildings and energy-efficient
halls of residence

• Motivational effect of a low-carbon University
  / energy
• efficient halls of residence
• Loughborough University halls survey 2004
• Ecohalls managed by UPP at Lancaster University

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4) Comparative and competitive approaches

• Comparative feedback is an effective tool to
  motivate
• employees to become more energy efficient
  (e.g., Siero
• et al., 1989)
• Competitive element
• Halls competitions embrace both
• Students do a lot for little
• About 10 examples
• - Loughborough University (party - 5)
• - University of Bath (beer and curry - 10)
• - University of St Andrews (cash - up to 20)
• Student Switch Off (prizes - 9)

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5) Financial incentives

• Financial prizes through inter-hall
  competitions
• (University of the West of England)
• Returnable energy deposits if students within
  blocks use
• less than a pre-determined amount of energy
  (Sheffield
• Hallam University Unipol)
• Separately-metering individual student rooms
  and
• charging students for the energy they use
  (University of
• Sunderland - 35)

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Defra action based research project

• 106k project starting this summer
• Reporting December 2010
• A series of controlled interventions
• Straddles two academic years
• Understand barriers and motivators
• Wider policy context
• Very useful for HEI sector, and internationally

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Interventions

• General awareness campaigns - Durham University
• Peer-to-peer encouragement - Leeds University
• Low-carbon University / energy efficient halls -
  Lancaster University
• Comparative and competitive - University of
  Bradford
• Financial incentives - University of the West of
  England

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The Challenge
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Overview

• Competition to see which Hall of Residence can
  reduce their energy usage by the greatest amount.
• Incentives for energy-efficient behaviour at
  individual and communal level.
• Building on existing social relationships,
  peer-to-peer communications, rivalries and
  communities.

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Success to date

• Average of 8.9 reduction in electricity usage
  across 11 Universities in 2008/09.
• Over 680 tonnes of CO2 kept out of the
  atmosphere.
• Over 115,000 in energy savings.
• Over 4,950 students signed up as Eco-Power
  Rangers (15.3 of those in halls)..

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The Eco-Power Rangers
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Peer-to-peer communication

• I just wanted to e-mail to let you know that Tom
  Smith has really really inspired me to switch off
  everything! ... I read his little e-mail about
  switching off and from that moment on I really
  honestly and truly think about turning stuff off!
  I turn of my charger, my lights and my computer
  when I leave my room. He is also really good at
  gently reminding everyone when they forget!
• Ruth Fehilly, University of Bristol

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Measurement
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Expansion for 2009/10

• At least 14 new Universities in England
• It could be you!
• University contribution in 2008/09 of 1.00 per
  student living in halls
• 2008/09 average saving of 4.00 per student to
  date!

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Questions / discussion