Below you will find an overview of our environmental sustainability projects and publications. Each entry outlines the aims, methods and findings of the research, along with links to further reading. If any of this is of interest, or you would like to discuss potential collaboration, please get in touch.
This project examined how innovative energy-related technologies performed across different house types and how the public responded to them. Nine demonstrator houses spanning UK housing styles from 1910 to the present were built at the NGN Net Zero Research Village in Low Thornley, fitted with sensors monitoring energy and environmental data, and seven technologies were installed and tested there, though construction delays and unrealistic occupancy conditions meant only three produced conclusive results. Public engagement studies at the Futures Close site found that cost and disruption shaped early impressions while look and feel became more influential once people saw technologies in use, with uncertainty about unfamiliar products remaining a persistent barrier, especially for smart devices; a wider survey confirmed that adoption hinged on perceived sustainability benefits, value for money and convenience rather than durability, while a study with university students whose bills were covered by rent showed that removing cost as an incentive weakened willingness to adopt, and a further study revealed a mismatch between users' pre-adoption expectations of smart home technology and their actual experience. Findings were disseminated through events, publications and public reports, and while the in-person visits proved valuable, an online platform could extend this engagement to a much wider audience. Read more
Given the UK's target of achieving net-zero by 2050, this report presents the results of a project providing a review of the factors influencing the adoption of smart home technology. The focus of this project is on users/consumers and energy consumption at the household level, in terms the data and digital technologies for smart-home energy management. The main aim was to understand what the key factors are that aid or hinder consumers' energy consumption reduction, assisted by the adoption of smart technology. This is important because consumers can act as vital actors in achieving the net-zero target. Still, they do not necessarily have the capacity to engage, the opportunity to participate or willingness to take the risk related to innovation adoption. The above challenges are more likely to apply to low-income and/or vulnerable consumers. In order to address this aim and knowledge gaps, we conducted a literature review of both academic and industry sources on this topic. A wide range of factors were identified as drivers of smart energy technology adoption, and these have been grouped into six main categories: consumers' perceived costs and benefits; environmental factors; perceptions and characteristics of the smart home systems; users' characteristics; support networks and communities; and, finally, policy, industry and regulation. Subsequently, based on these factors, we synthesised and developed a framework that is underpinned by corresponding pillars and that depicts the multiple interactions believed to concomitantly influences users' evaluation and adoption of smart home energy technology. Following the findings of this project and the developed framework, a series of recommendations are made in the port. Read more
The project, which has been partly funded through the Ofwat Water Breakthrough Challenge, is aimed at helping our customers to save water and energy, which can help lower bills and their reduce carbon footprint.
Many everyday tasks we carry out around our homes, such as washing the dishes, doing the laundry or taking a bath or shower, use both energy and water. If we are going to reduce the amount of water and energy that we use, then we will need to find different ways of carrying out these tasks, perhaps by using different products or devices installed in our homes, or simply through making small changes to our behaviour. However, we realise that not everyone wants to compromise between their water and energy use and, for example, how clean their clothes are, or their enjoyment of a bath or shower. We also realise that no two individuals are the same, or use their energy and water in the same way, or have the same choices when it comes to fitting water and energy saving products into their home. This is why we're working with our partners on the FairWater project, to develop solutions tailored to individual circumstances and characteristics. We want everyone, regardless of their circumstances, to be able to participate in the journey to net zero, and will outline what we're calling customer transition pathways' which suggest the most effective ways to do so, with the minimum disruption to our customers' lives. For this to be a success, we need to work hand-in-hand with our customers, to learn about how they currently use water and energy in their homes and then to find, test and, if necessary, create, solutions that really work for an individual household to reduce their water and energy consumption. Read more