North East Scotland Energy Monitoring Project, 2010-2012

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The total amount of energy consumed by households over a given period of time is a function of socio-physical factors and occupant behaviour. The North East Scotland energy monitoring project (NESEMP) examined the relationship between different types of energy feedback and psycho-social measures including individual environmental attitudes, household characteristics, and everyday behaviours. As part of this project, several hundred households were monitored, with the electricity usage recorded every five minutes using CurrentCost monitors. Electricity data and household temperature readings from 215 households in North East Scotland were recorded remotely at 5-minute intervals between 2010 and 2012. The NESEMP study explored the different electricity consumption profiles associated with particular household types. Households were also asked to complete a carbon footprint calculator questionnaire as part of the study and estimated carbon footprints derived from the carbon calculation tool were compared against electricity use. Various collection issues resulted in incomplete or irregular readings from households (e.g. missing periods of readings (long periods of non-collection for some households) or readings not at 5-minute intervals), and some households left the study during the monitoring period. An extensive cleaning exercise was carried out resulting in each household having full days of data at exact 5-minute intervals (i.e. 288 readings per day). As part of the NESEMP, various demographic and attitudinal information was also collected using questionnaires from each household. Some of these data are incomplete and some households did not provide full permission for usage of their data; while meter readings exist for these households, their data have been excluded from the analysis (and therefore from the deposited data). The electricity and household temperature data were collected by a CurrentCost Envi monitor, by a clamp connected to the household electricity meter. This communicates over a wi-fi network with the monitor. The sampling happened approximately every 6 seconds and provided a value for the current usage of electricity within the house, as measured by the clamp, and the current temperature in the room housing the Envi monitor; see also CurrentCost Envi monitor documentation, and the study documentation.