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Bringing it home

The aim of this project is to look at how recent developments in behavioural theory could inform better policies on energy, water and waste management in the home. There is currently a mis-match between how policymakers design policy in this area, and how people actually work, which means that behaviour change interventions are not having the impact that they could.

This project has four key components:

1. Ethnographic research: Ethnographic researchers visited six households around the country in winter 2009/10 and observed their habits when it came to energy use, waste and recycling, transport, water and other areas of daily life.

First the video researchers observed each of the households for 1-2 days. Then afterwards they asked the householders to watch the footage and talk through what they were doing and why, and to give their opinions. Watch the film about their energy use here:

Energy Use in the Home from Green Alliance on Vimeo.

2. From wasteful house to resourceful house: We are collecting data on the environmental impact of a) current ‘wasteful’ homes and b) retrofitted ‘resourceful’ homes where the occupants have changed their behaviour. This will lay out the challenge – what policies do we need to get us from a) to b)?

3. Policy mapping and analysis: We are looking at all current and pipeline policies that have an impact on people in their homes when it comes to energy, water and waste. We will look at what type of policies these are and how they manifest themselves to ordinary people. How effective are they as a suite of policies to drive behaviour change?

4. Better policies: Alongside our policy mapping we are drawing together some of the latest thinking on behaviour change. We will develop ideas as to how to improve some of government’s flagship policies as well as identifying gaps. We will be focussing on:
· Pay As You Save and Energy Performance Certificates
· Motivating recycling (Including RecycleBank and incentive schemes)
· Water policy and how water can be included in The Green Deal

Throughout July, we are running a series of small, expert behaviour change workshops looking at home energy efficiency, recycling and domestic water use. We will be looking at how behavioural theory can help us improve the design and uptake of some of the new government's flagship initiatives in these areas. See our latest page for more information.

For more information contact:

Sylvia Rowley, policy advisor
srowley@green-alliance.org.uk
0207 630 4514

Bringing it home

Think Tank of the Year, Public Affairs News Awards 2009