Written question asked by Adrian Sanders (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 23 June 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 June 2009. It was answered by Joan Ruddock (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Energy: Consumers

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the relationship between consumer awareness of energy efficiency and consumer behaviour adopting energy-efficiency practices.

Answer: DECC takes account of externally available research about consumer awareness of energy use and energy efficiency and effects on behaviour, in order to inform its policy development.DECC is co-funding the Energy Demand Research Project, which is enabling the Government, energy suppliers and others to test through a variety of interventions how electricity and gas customers respond to better information about their consumption. The project explores the impact on energy consumption and energy efficiency of smart meters in combination with awareness raising tools including real-time display devices and additional billing information, as well as the provision of energy efficiency information and community engagement.

Secondary information