The idea is to put the climate change debate in terms that ordinary citizens can understand by helping them reduce their energy consumption, CO2 emissions and cost. We emphasise the economic benefits of a more sustainable lifestyle. We have developed a hands-on system that shows how easy it is to save both money and energy; enabling consumers track their energy consumption and take action to reduce it. The on-line tools identify the money saved when consumers upgrade their home appliances and heating systems, modernise water boilers or change the materials they use to build, saving them up to 60 to 70 percent of their energy costs. The second piece of work involves opening up direct communication between consumers and appliance manufacturers to better inform both parties of the latest in energy-saving technology and to meet the rising demand for more efficient appliances.

Problema

For years the debate about climate change and renewable energy sources has been left in the hands of scientists and governmental experts. Using abstract concepts and complicated statistics, their arguments fail to engage everyday citizens. The vital information for consumers - how much energy do I consume? what emits how much? and how do I consume less? - have largely been ignored. As a result Irish household electricity use per person in Ireland rose to 1,909 kWh in 2006, a 62% increase (3% per annum) on 1990 usage. In Ireland the residential sectors share of total emissions account for nearly 25% of all CO2 emissions. Because consumers lack adequate information about their household energy use and the devices available to reduce it, there is little demand for energy saving products.

Solução

In 1992 we developed a program to analyse energy bills informing the consumer. The tool offers personal comparisons to the national average and identifies a households saving potential, both monetarily and in terms of CO2. He has since launched an online interface at www.co2online.de. The website additionally offers e-mail services, FAQ sections and relevant information on subjects ranging from modernizing heating systems to insulating roofs, walls and windows. The site presents contacts to relevant services in the vicinity, guidelines how to apply for government subsidies and a best practice archive. A key component of his strategy is to offer media websites, businesses, and related citizen organisations the chance to rebrand the on-line tool and make available to their customers or members. We also discovered that the best time to reach people was during “critical decision times”, when they moved, built, or inherited a home. We consequently expanded the network of online partners to include real estate portals. Having discovered that users lacked access to tailored products and services required to implement his suggestions, we turned our attention to improving communication between manufacturers and consumers. We developed a set of incentives for appliance manufacturers to communicate directly with interested buyers. We offer them ad space on his website, and highlights them according to their energy and money saving potential. To date we have reached more than 2 million people in Germany and since 2004, our online advisors have motivated people to avoid a total 2.4million tons of CO2.

Exemplo

The idea is to put the climate change debate in terms that ordinary citizens can understand by helping them reduce their energy consumption, CO2 emissions and cost. We emphasise the economic benefits of a more sustainable lifestyle. We have developed a hands-on system that shows how easy it is to save both money and energy; enabling consumers track their energy consumption and take action to reduce it. The on-line tools identify the money saved when consumers upgrade their home appliances and heating systems, modernise water boilers or change the materials they use to build, saving them up to 60 to 70 percent of their energy costs. The second piece of work involves opening up direct communication between consumers and appliance manufacturers to better inform both parties of the latest in energy-saving technology and to meet the rising demand for more efficient appliances.