In the context of rising energy prices and the current energy crisis, how can the state, as part of a frugal energy policy, encourage and/or motivate citizens to manage the heating of their homes sensibly?
In my country, 25 million citizens are using district heating in their flats and houses (flats in multi-family buildings, housing estates, houses in the city heated by district heating plants).
Many people overheat their flats. The thermostats are set too high or, when there are no thermostats and the radiators are hot, instead of turning down the radiator some people open the windows and most of the heat escapes into the atmosphere outside the flat.
In view of the above, I address the following question to the esteemed community of researchers and scientists:
In the context of rising energy prices and the current energy crisis, how can the state, as part of a frugal energy policy, encourage and/or motivate citizens to manage their home heating sensibly?
What is your opinion on this topic?
Please reply,
I invite you all to discuss,
Thank you very much,
Regards,
Dariusz Prokopowicz
Dear Dariusz
Thank you for your invitation.
As usual from you, the subject is very relevant.
In my opinion, it depends on education as well as in taxes.
Link consumption with cost per kWr or BTU consummed by levels of consumption
Develop stronger regulation for houses insulation in windows , walls and roofs
Develop laws to encourage builders to use solar heating as well as heat pumps
Recover heat from cloth washers as well as from kinchen, and bathrooms,
Try to produce central heating using heat wasted from industry
I am doing research on encouraging people to reduce electricity consumption using game theory in my country. This solution uses a multifaceted model based on the participation of ISO and consumers. The participation model is based on PBUC (Price Base Unit Commitment).
The European governments technical incompetence has created the present problem. Well developed energy systems have been scrapped and replaced with import and weather dependent systems. So, Governments are the last resort in solving their own-created problems. The problem seems to be that they have taken big-brother style control to heart and actually believe that they know best. In the UK and many countries house-building is controlled and a disaster, health care is deteriorating etc.
Economic and health necessity will drive this winter's energy savings and probably next far more than governmental meddling.
You comment on the lack of controls in buildings with district heating and high wastage; this is normal in the UK too (we have 2 cities with reasonably substantial DH). The problem in the UK is that the flats are mainly council (local government) owned and energy costs are part of the general rates that cannot be increased in some cases by law. Simple heat meters and heat charging would reduce the wastage, as would fitting better thermostats, but the councils seem to prefer to leave these properties alone and maintain them poorly. People are a far bigger problem than technology!!!
cost-effective energy encouragement to be defined means not only heating but as well cooling. There are many tools on the market we need to observe: air speed, insulation, room humidity, solar gains, PCM and so on. Not even a simple question as well answer as we also need to check the cultural behaviours and regional habits; Inuit vs. African vs. European.
Hi Dariusz,
Make them pay more for consumption:
1. Double the cost of first, say, 5kWh per day
2. Triple the cost of second 5kWh per day
3. Quadruple the costs of third 5 kWh per day, and so on... make it very steep.
Encourage them to implement energy efficiency measures providing low/no interest loans or make the expenditures tax deductible.
Last but not least, EDUCATE the general population on how they can reduce the energy consumption (for example by using induction stoves as opposed to cooking on electric stoves, advantages of inverter washing machines/fridges, pressure cookers, the list goes on and on...) and also address some misconceptions or even misinformation that exists...
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