Green Gown Awards 2014 - Technical Innovation - University of Worcester SU - Finalist

ENERGIZE WORCESTER – students drive energy efficiency in their homes and beyond

Designed to tackle poor energy efficiency in student housing, the project offers students a range of interventions and incentives to help them to develop appropriate energy habits. Trained and accredited peers give energy advice through house visits and tailored home energy reports.

A specially-designed digital app encourages students and landlords to make infrastructure improvements and install Smart meters. Among the project’s overall aims are to create a network of skilled students with enhanced employment opportunities, pro- environmental behaviours and energy saving habits; save quantifiable amounts of energy and money and evaluate the cost effectiveness of different interventions; and work with landlords to make infrastructure improvements.

Top 3 learnings

1 Registration - if they found the registration or data input process difficult, they were more likely to give up as a result
2 Email fatigue - students receive innumerable emails from the University and Students’ Union and affiliated clubs and societies. If they are deemed irrelevant they are ignored
3 Low energy literacy rate - lacking in energy knowledge makes it very hard for students to fully understand energy and this produces a perceived loss of control over home energy.

Videos

• ENERGIZE WORCESTER – students drive energy efficiency in their homes and beyond (click to hide)