STUDY | 
Environment
 BEHAVIOR CHANGE

Energy efficiency project

OECD (2017b)
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Phase I results indicated that the average reduction in energy use was 0.0594 kWh/30 minutes, though this result was not statistically significant. It was discovered during this phase that a cap on all “Too Wise to Waste” emails meant that only some messages reached floor occupants. However, large effects were not expected from the information and tips treatment. Nevertheless, this means that the effects that may have been seen were likely further attenuated by these intervention difficulties.Similarly, phase II faced several crucial implementation problems. Initial issues with emails during the first two months meant that only a monthly (as opposed to weekly) inter-floor competition feedback email on energy consumption was sent for a one-month period. Since the intervention ended only six weeks prior to the publishing of this case study, initial data on phase two reflects a four-month period (June to September 2016 one month after the aforementioned month with implementation issues, and one month before the end of the intervention).Overall, the data suggests that:• Information and tips led to a 2% reduction in energy use (statistically insignificant)• Inter-floor competition led to a 7% reduction in energy use (statistically insignificant)• Inter-floor competition plus advocates led to a 14% reduction in energy use (statistically significant) With phase II ending in October 2016, researchers are expect to be able to add one more month worth of data to the existing analysis, which will further buttress their understanding of these results.The researchers also noted that these results are much better than anticipated, especially considering that these reductions are not incentivised by monetary savings for the floor occupants in the same way that it would be for residential consumers.Scaling this intervention to other WCG buildings would require an infrastructure investment to install energy meters on every floor. Taking the statistically significant intervention of having inter-floor competition plus advocates, the researchers find that the 13.5% savings currently being achieved through the intervention would be sufficient to pay back the total costs of the project within five years.