Project summary

The SAVE@Work4Homes project aims to bring about a significant reduction of energy consumption in European social housing by providing tenants with feedback on consumption and offering personalised advice. The approach recognises the great variety of living conditions and cultures in European social housing and adopts an appropriate range of strategies. Project partners in Angers (FR), Belfast (UK), Berlin (DE), Frankfurt (DE), Moulins (FR) and Karlsruhe (DE) have developed, tested and are now evaluating a complementary set of viable and effective Energy Awareness Services, based on a "toolbox" of components:

• Automatic monitoring and transmission of consumption data
• Analysis, presentation of data for access by tenants via internet (tenant portals) or print media
• Self Assessment Tool (energy use)
• Improvement of heating controls

Video about the project - watch a short movie about SAVE@work4homes.

First results and outlook

• Tenant portal examples:
  • Moulins: http://www.moulins-energie.fr
    Username: demo1 - Password: demo1
  • Berlin & Frankfurt: http://tportal.domdata.com
    Username: demo - Password: 123456
  • Belfast: http://savepda.domdata.com
    Access free
  • Angers: http://www.efficonso.com
    Username: gaspille (or econome) - Password: suiviConso
  • Karlsruhe: https://energie-portal.volkswohnung.com/
    Username: vowo - Password: ool5im8n
    Portal username: volker.wohnung@volkswohnung.com - Password: 123456
• An extensive survey carried out in the project shows that there is strong interest among tenants in receiving feedback on energy consumption and clear need for advice on their options for saving energy. Social housing companies are considered by tenants to be the most appropriate actor to provide this kind of information.
• As electronic and intelligent metering is introduced, housing providers increasingly have access to the required information on energy consumption and can provide analysis and comparison regularly and adequately frequently, usually on a monthly basis.
• Further understanding of tenants' use of the new Energy Awareness Services is expected from evaluation work in the project, expected to report in Spring 2009. Results will be used to finalise a guide to European social housing providers on adopting project services and techniques for their tenants.

The SAVE@Work4Homes project is supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe Agency (EACI) in the framework of the SAVE programme.