Latest News from SECCCA

Energy Saver Study gets results!

The SECCCA Low Income Energy Efficiency (LIEEP) Energy Saver Study (ESS) has provided its final report to the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS). The three-year study has trialled a range of approaches to support 320 low-income households in six of SECCCA’s member councils to improve their energy costs and efficiency, comfort, health and wellbeing.

Seven representatives from the study team recently attended a national LIEEP forum in Adelaide to share their knowledge, experiences and findings with representatives of the 20 studies in the program and DIIS policy advisors to inform future policy and programs. The passion and commitment of this group was palpable and the learnings are sure to be carried forward into their work in the future.

Key learnings from the program were:

• Recruitment and engagement
  • Identify exactly who the target audience is and what outcomes the government wish to achieve for them
  • Understand the demographic
  • Target each demographic to achieve desired outcomes
  • Identify the target audiences’ motivations
  • Recruit the target audience through existing trusted organisations
  • Have strong two-way conversations with target audiences to design the delivery program
  • Allow a long lead and delivery time to see measurable outcomes
• Communication
  • Messaging needs to be:
    • personalised / tailored to audience
    • direct, clear & concise
    • authentic, respectful, honest
  • Deliver information through trusted, existing sources
  • Aim to build the capacity of the target audience
  • Pitch the support as ‘help’ for target audience
  • Use multiple message paths/means (verbal, written, social media, webpages, photos, texts etc)
  • Provide consistent messages repetitively to target audience
  • Provide support for both home retrofit works and energy efficiency-related behaviours being undertaken by the householders.

For more information including the Final Report Executive Summary and House In Order: How to achieve energy efficiency and performance in your home, go to http://energysaver.seccca.org.au/