Assessing NZ householder's energy use behaviours: a pilot survey

In NZ, the government has developed the New Zealand Energy Strategy (NZES) to respond to the challenges of climate change and provide strategic directions for energy use in NZ. One of the target areas is “Energywise Homes” that provides a number of financial and other incentives for consumers to make them homes dryer and more energy efficient. Industry too, has been pro-active. For example, the Homestar™ Rating Tool, a new free online rating tool, was introduced in November 2010 through a joint venture between the NZ Green Building Council, BRANZ and Beacon Pathways to allow home owners to assess their home’s performance in comfort, health and energy-efficiency. This paper outlines the results of research carried out in NZ in 2011. Two parallel pilot surveys were conducted of various participants in the housing sector who are members of the Green Building Council of NZ. The full-scale survey of 4000 householders is underway, but the results are not yet available to report here. The broad aims of the research are to (i) examine the lifestyle choices of householders in relation to the homes that they live in, together with the motives behind these choices; (ii) identify and explain user behaviour in residential buildings in relation to the energy consumed, and (iii) evaluate the success of the Homestar™ rating tool in empowering householders to make their homes healthier and more energy efficient. The results from these pilot surveys help to identify where behavioural change is needed, and the methods to aid communication of sustainability measures that encourage behavior change, and increase the uptake of sustainability practices in homes that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from residential buildings