According to a survey by Engie, one in five people do not understand their monthly energy bills. While this may be surprising, what is even more of a concern is that the power sector, policy makers, and environmentalists have not paid sufficient attention in addressing this. There is a lack of useful education about how to interpret energy bills and glean insights from energy consumption data and potential activities to improve said consumption. Consumers are continuously bombarded with information regarding new and better technology systems which will help them live better! But HOW?
If consumers are unable to understand their monthly electricity bill, how can they be expected to understand the difference between a kilowatt and a megawatt? Besides the obvious fact that it's a lot of money, why should the average Joe care that Scotland is investing billions of pounds to install batteries in Scottish windfarms? How does he benefit? How will Jane next door benefit from carbon capture and storage? What IS carbon capture and storage anyway?
A similar communication and awareness problem comes from the underlying energy issues themselves. Consider, as an example, the issue of climate change; the topic’s importance is widely recognised, as is the fact that failing to tackle climate change will have catastrophic consequences globally. We are at a turning point for humanity, but many people continue to go on with their daily lives as if nothing is happening. Have policymakers/industries/NGO’s/scientists failed in explaining the urgency of the situation? How do we ensure everyone fully understands the critical nature of the topic and why we should all act now?
Making technology work for everyone
Transcending the energy technologies themselves, obtaining larger social benefits requires more explanation than throwing technical jargon and numbers at consumers. Merely having a technological solution which may deliver positive benefits to society does not guarantee it will deliver. Social, political, and economic factors also contribute to - or detract from - realization of the expected benefits. Specifically, an effective communication and information strategy is key. Communicating the benefits in an easy-to-grasp manner empowers people; this is imperative for realizing the full potential to society of any energy technology.
To facilitate and encourage citizen participation in energy policymaking and implementation of new and improved energy systems, we must distil relevant information down to a very simple concept: WIFM - What's in it for me?
Join us at this Energy Conversation to explore and consider these questions.
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Ms Kankana Dubey |
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Dr Christian Calvillo Research Associate, Centre for Energy Policy christian.calvillo@strath.ac.uk |
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Dr Oluwafisayo Alabi Research Associate, Centre for Energy Policy oluwafisayo.alabi@strath.ac.uk |