Understanding Residents’ Use of Heating and Hot Water – An Exploration of the Potential for Reduced Energy Consumption

Paper in proceeding, 2013

One major challenge for a sustainable future is households’ current consumption of heating and hot water. Therefore, two studies were conducted aiming at investigating the influencing factors for a conscious heat and hot water consumption: a diary study exploring how thermal comfort is achieved and an interview study to explore how expectations, awareness, attitudes, and knowledge influence interactions with the heating and hot water systems. The latter had a focus on residents with district heating. It was found that the heating and hot water systems are not user-centred, resulting in an unsatisfactory interplay between the residents and their system that causes inefficient resource use and lack of thermal comfort. With inspiration from the diversity of non-energy consuming ways of achieving thermal comfort less resource-demanding heating systems could be developed that fulfils the users varying needs and allows for pleasurable thermal experiences.