Defra Intro pres

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Snap it off! Researching energy saving schemes
in halls of residences. Lizzie
Bone Environmental Researcher NUS Services
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Halls Energy behaviours

• Carbon implications of halls
• Student behaviours
• Encouraging pro-environmental behaviours
• Preliminary findings
• Your university

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Carbon implications in halls
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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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Student behaviours
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Action of respondents in halls (base 1,388) of respondents in private accommodation (base 2,206)
Leaving lights on unnecessarily 11.3 4.8
Leaving a mobile phone charger on when not in use 30.7 27.0
Overfilling the kettle 25.3 16.3
Leaving the tap running when brushing teeth 27.3 22.5
Leaving the heating when not in use 28.8 16.9
Putting more clothes on rather than turning up the heating 54.0 68.6
Percentage of student respondents living in halls
and privately-rented accommodation doing the
specified actions always or quite often
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Appliance of respondents with appliance in their study room (base 4,267)
Computer / laptop 97.7
Mobile phone charger 92.0
Other charger (IPod, camera, etc.) 75.0
Desk lamp (own, not supplied with room) 61.3
Printer inkjet 57.6
Hairdryer 51.5
Computer speakers 47.2
Hair straightener 45.6
Stereo 40.2
Desk lamp (supplied with room) 20.3
Electric heater (own, not supplied with room) 18.5
Fridge 13.2
Kettle 12.9
Printer laser 8.7
Microwave 8.0
Toaster 8.0
Percentage of student respondents with given
electrical appliances in their study room
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Encouraging pro-environmental behaviours
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Five mechanisms of encouraging pro-environmental
behaviour

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

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Durham University

• Van Mildert College

Communal Living
Existing materials
Study Rooms
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University of West of England

• Carroll Court

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• Project analysis / dissemination
• Meter data allowing monitoring relative
  effectiveness of each intervention
• In person focus groups allow qualitative
  collection of attitudes and behaviours
• Online focus groups allow understanding of uptake
  of pro-environmental behaviours
• Campus questionnaire to provide baseline attitude
  and behaviours
• Wider online questionnaire to provide national
  student opinion

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Preliminary findings
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Preliminary findings (1)A consumer mentality
drives high energy use

• Respondents feel that fixed residence fees are
  high
• Consumer mentality drives high use of energy
• Some respondents claimed that they didnt think
  of their energy use
• Many reported that they felt entitled to use as
  much energy as they wanted
• Over 50 of survey respondents agreed with the
  statement leaving the heating on when I go out
  is something I do frequently
• The habit discontinuity hypothesis dictates that
  the first year of university is a key habit
  forming stage however poor behaviours are
  adopted, irrespective of habits learned prior to
  university
• Lack of financial incentive and lack of
  enforcement means respondents of all types adopt
  poor energy efficiency behaviours
• Respondents state that key drivers of energy
  efficiency at home are parental insistence and
  school enforcement
• Importantly most respondents feel that they will
  adopt energy saving behaviours in the future to
  save money and the environment.
• Education in effective use of university provided
  equipment is needed

I do see myself adopting these energy saving
behaviours in the future as we are running out of
energy (1st year, female, UWE) Focus group Dec
2009
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Preliminary findings (2)Respondents are strongly
influenced by their peers

• Peer pressure can act as a barrier to saving
  energy
• A large proportion of respondents reported
  examples of energy wastage in their accommodation
• Only a small minority claimed that they would try
  to influence those wasting energy
• Interestingly, respondents who noticed energy
  wastage would be more likely to stop the energy
  waste e.g. by switching a light off, than raise
  the issue in conversation
• Environmental concerns are not felt to be cool
• Respondents can feel unsupported in energy saving
• A go to role is required continuity is key

telling people to save energy doesnt work
because theres too many people not doing it. I
still do it, but I dont think it works (1st
year, male), UCLan Focus group Dec 2009
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Your university
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Discussion - What steps are already being taken
in your university?
What works? What doesnt? What is the student
culture in your university?
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Discussion What are the unmet needs?
How could we challenge these? Questions?
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Snap it off! Researching energy saving schemes
in halls of residences. Lizzie
Bone Environmental Researcher NUS Services