Background and expectations

The surveys and interviews provide useful background information on participants’

satisfaction with and use of their existing heating controls and heating system in general. Figure 6-3 shows the age distribution of the occupants of participating households who returned the pre-trial survey. Of a total of 78 occupants, 44 (56%) were aged 65 or over, compared to a proportion in Great Britain of 11% (ONS, 2012). Of the 45 participating households who completed the survey, 30 (65%) contained only people aged 65 or over, while five (11%) contained at least one child under 18. Specific demographic data for the person who completed the questionnaire are not available as they were only required to provide this information at the household level.

164

Figure 6-3: Age of occupants based on pre-trial survey responses. Based on questionnaire responses from 45 participants.

A wide range of levels of satisfaction with the current heating system and controls were reported. Figure 6-4 shows that almost half of the participants who returned the pre-trial questionnaire reported some level of discomfort during the winter, while this fell to less than a fifth in summer.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

9 and under 10-17 18-64 65-74 75 and over

Number of occupants

Age

165

Figure 6-4: Participant reported comfort in winter/summer. Based on questionnaire responses from 45 participants.

Approximately a third of interviewees reported problems with their existing heating system setup. Some problems were centred around getting the heating to come on and off at times the participants wanted. This may be because people said they didn’t understand how to use their current controls (‘No-one can understand, not even engineers who come here, they can’t set it up – it’s so complicated’, Christopher), because they said they had been instructed not to touch them (‘They told me not to touch the controls, leave it on, but it’s too hot’, Eric) or were worried about making adjustments (‘I didn’t touch anything, I didn’t press anything, it was on all summer’, Isabelle). Instead, people often reported relying on room thermostats to control whether or not the heating was on. This was borne out in the questionnaire results (Figure 6-7), in which only 10 people (out of 45 who returned the pre-trial questionnaire) reported using a timer, but 18 said they use their thermostat to turn the heating off and on and 25 said they set their thermostat and let it control when the heating goes off and on. Figure 6-7 shows that of the heating control functions asked about in the questionnaire, setting the timer was the only function which more people rated as more difficult than easy.

Inability to control when the heating comes off and on led to people experiencing problems such as some radiators staying on all the time (Isabelle, Eric), and

166

generally a perception that heating was costing more than it should (Joanna, Barbara). Some people were also concerned about equipment (such as pumps or fans) seemingly running more than it should, such as overnight when the heating should be off (David, Katherine). This led to noise disturbance and, again, concerns about spending. More than half of participants who returned the pre-trial questionnaire said that the billpayer had worried a lot or a fair amount about energy bills in the last three months (Figure 6-5) (again, the HomeTech questionnaire did not request respondents to specify whether this was them personally or another householder). Two people specifically said that the system was easy to use, while the remainder had no strong view either way.

Figure 6-5: Participants reporting their level of thought about energy saving and concern about energy bills. Based on questionnaire responses from 45 participants.

167

Figure 6-6: The number of participants reporting taking each heating system control measure.

Based on questionnaire responses from 45 participants.

Figure 6-7: Reported ease of completing a range of heating control functions. Based on questionnaire responses from 45 participants.

168

Interviewees gave a range of reasons for deciding to participate in the trial. The three reasons that were mentioned most frequently were:

• that they wanted to try something new (‘…It’s try new things isn’t it … it sounded good at the time’ [Neil]) (mentioned by seven participants).

• the possibility of saving money with the new controller (‘I’m interested to see what the savings are on the electric’ [Lee]) (mentioned by six participants)

• the possibility that their system would be easier to control (‘that’s easier for use, I think, if we want to put it on and off’ [Maureen]) (mentioned by five participants)

Other reasons that were mentioned less often (by no more than two interviewees) were:

• gaining better overall control of the heating system (as distinct from just being easier to use)

• reducing electricity use (as distinct from reducing cost)

• the hope that faults can be detected and diagnosed

• the desire to contribute to research that should benefit others

• the ability to control heating using a smartphone app

The final point, concerning use of a smartphone app, was only mentioned by two households, both of which included only people between the ages of 18-64. Taking these results together with the above on people’s experiences of their current system, there could be said to be broadly three types of participant amongst the interviewees – those who see the possibility that the new controller might help solve issues with a problematic system, those who see the possibility that it might enhance a currently good or functional system, and those who are simply interested in being part of a trial (and potentially contributing to future benefits). Three interviewees specifically mentioned that they found the coffee-morning briefings held by HomeTech interesting and useful.

Figure 6-8 summarizes the responses to the extended TAM items in the pre-trial survey. All of the mean values (except that for autonomy) are between four and five, suggesting an expectation that the new control will bring high levels of comfort, spending and timing control as well as perceived usefulness and ease of use. The item for autonomy asked if participants thought they would be too reliant on automation – as this is negatively framed it was reverse coded in the analysis.

Taken at face value, the results indicate that on average participants did not think

169

they would be too reliant on automation as the (reverse coded) mean value was above three. This result is not as positive about the controller as for the other constructs. However, there was more deviation around this result than for the other values. It is possible that, as the only negatively phrased item, participants were reluctant to go all the way to the other end of the response scale if they disagreed.

Figure 6-8: Mean (pre-trial) survey results for extended TAM items. On the vertical axis, 5 = most strong/positive, 1 = least strong/positive. Error bars are +/- 1 standard deviation.

Figure 6-9 shows the number of participants selecting whether to have specific control functionality turned on or off. Of the 46 respondents to the pre-trial questionnaire, 26 (or 57%) indicated that they would choose to have the control system’s ability to reduce peaks in electricity demand turned on. The same proportion said they would have its ability to turn down when they are out turned on, while 33 respondents (72%) said they would turn on its ability to respond to weather forecasts. A higher proportion (28%) gave no response to the question on reducing peaks than for turning down when out (22%) or responding to weather forecasts (20%). Thirty-one participants (68%) indicated that they had at some point been on an Economy 7 or 10 tariff.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Spending

control Timing

control Autonomy

(automation) Comfort

control Perceived

usefulness Perceived

ease of use Attitude towards use

170

Figure 6-9: Number of pre-trial survey participants selecting whether to have specific control functionality turned on or off.

The final questions of the pre-trial interview probed further into participants’ views on DSR. In general, these could best be described as most participants giving qualified endorsement. Of the 15 interviewees, nine said they were positive towards the idea of the controller affecting their heating to reduce peaks in electricity demand. Almost all of them qualified this with a caveat. Most referred to the warmth they could expect in their home:

As long as the house is kept warm at a certain temperature I’m fine with that, but you don’t want, especially in the wintertime if it’s really cold you don’t want the, if there was a demand for electric, for it to turn off and you’re like, you’re going to be sat in the cold … (Lee)

I think in some ways that might be a good idea, because that way we wouldn’t be left cold, you know like every so often there would be some heating coming through [compared to Economy 7 with night storage heaters] (Olivia)

… only now and again, especially when it really does get cold. (Joanna)

… all for that … as long as it keeps the bungalow the temperature we want it … (Christopher)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

On Off No response

Number of participants

Option selected

Turn down when out Respond to weather Reduce peaks

171

There was generally little mention of the thermal characteristics of the homes themselves, with only two participants mentioning it explicitly. In both of these cases the participants related good insulation to DSR being more acceptable as they expected that their homes would cool down more slowly:

… here you can turn the heating off at least half an hour before you go to bed and you’re still quite warm (Olivia)

Some people referred to cost or other concerns such as the noise of the heat pump running overnight:

I think it would be a good function really, if it does what it says … as long as it didn’t, it’s a bit dear that’s all I worry about, if it’s dear I wouldn’t be interested at all.

(Maureen)

That wouldn’t be bad if it cycled it off and on for short periods but not all night long because it drives me up the wall that drone … (Katherine)

Where participants were not explicitly supportive of DSR, it often appeared to be because they did not follow the explanation that was given and their answer did not relate to the question that was asked.

Notably, some participants who said they would select to have the DSR option turned off in the questionnaire indicate their support for DSR in the interview. This suggests either that they did not fully understand the options either in the questionnaire or the interview, or possibly that in the context of the interview they were more inclined to give what they perceived to be a socially acceptable response. Alternatively, some did not believe that their heating system contributed to peaks in electricity demand, and therefore did not see the point in participating:

As far as we’re concerned the way this heating system works I can’t see how it’s putting any extra pressure on the grid. (David)

Discussion of the Economy 7 tariff was used in the interview to introduce the idea of DSR. However, it was also useful to get people's impressions of that tariff and to see whether they related that experience to the new control system. People’s experience of that tariff, where reported, was not usually positive – although complaints tended to focus on technology (i.e. night storage heaters) rather than the tariff itself. In common with the focus groups described in chapter 4 people often complained about its inability to facilitate effective heating throughout the day:

172

By late afternoon when you need the heating, it starts getting cold. (Olivia)