Did you receive a recruitment postcard inviting you to join our household energy use research study?
Watch this brief video to learn about the project and discover what participation entails. Both renters and apartment owners are welcome to join. Get in touch if you have any questions, otherwise register your interest below.
For Households
Are you part of a household that wants to participate? Get in touch by clicking the button below. Registering doesn’t commit you or guarantee a spot. We will use the information you provide to decide if your household is a good fit for the study, then we will be in touch.
For Owners Corporations
Are you part of an Owners Corporation that wants to know more about this study, and some of the extended benefits if we can recruit 10 or more apartments within your building complex? Get in touch by clicking the button below. We would also love to advertise this opportunity to your residents.
Project summary
The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is an Australian program that establishes a standardised method for assessing and improving the energy efficiency of homes. It uses software to analyse a building’s design—looking at materials, insulation, windows, and shading—based on the local climate and makes assumptions about how energy is used by the occupants. However, these assumptions have never been tested.
This project will gather real-world data on household energy usage, with a focus on cooking habits, work and study routines, and activities related to relaxation, cleaning, and maintaining indoor comfort. It will only involve apartments and not detached houses. The results will help improve apartment energy efficiency research and inform changes to the NatHERS software.
What does participating involve?
Simple installation and monitoring: Our team will install small, discreet devices in your home to monitor environmental conditions (i.e. temperature and air quality), energy usage, air conditioning, and window opening and closing habits. At the time of the device installation, we can show you the data that is being collected and answer any questions. You can keep these sensors at the end of the study.
Comprehensive assessment: Alongside installing the devices, our installer will draw a quick floor plan of your apartment, document your major appliances, and note key design features like window types and window coverings. The installer may have a few questions about the appliances – such as how old they are. If you don’t know the answer that is fine. Upon request we can supply you a record of any notes we take, and the floor plan we draw.
Quick start survey: At the beginning of the project, you’ll complete a brief 15-minute survey covering details about who lives in the apartment and your lifestyle. This survey can be done online or via a paper copy that we’ll provide with a stamped return envelope. Your survey responses will never be stored with your apartment address, name or any identifying details.
Monthly check-Ins: Once a month, you’ll receive a quick text message with one or two questions about specific household behaviours, like how you dried your last load of laundry or whether your home’s temperature is comfortable. These short surveys take just 1 minute to complete via SMS.
What do the devices look like?
The devices are small and discreet and have been rigorously tested by CSIRO to ensure they are suitable for residential settings and long-term data collection. Five of the six devices are battery-operated. One device requires mains power connect via a USB-C port. The installer will provide an adaptor (so you’ll still have access to the mains socket) and neatly clip the cord to the wall for a clean finish.
Scroll through the images below to see what each device looks like, the size, and type of data it collects.
Who will install the devices?
Two quick visits: Installation requires two visits to your home—one by a member of our team and the other by a licensed electrician. Both visits will be scheduled during business hours and will take no longer than one hour each.
Electrical setup and safety: The electrician will install an energy monitoring device in your apartment’s switchboard and provide you with a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Device installation and consultation: Our staff member will install the devices shown above using non-invasive adhesive tape that will not damage your walls. You will be consulted about their location, noting that the devices cannot be installed inside or on top of cupboards. We will also install a separate Wi-Fi router with a paid data plan, to ensure that your household’s internet connection is unaffected by our devices.
Removal and restoration: If you decide to leave the study early or choose not to keep the devices, at the end of the study, we will arrange for all devices to be removed. Before and after photos will ensure that we leave the walls and switchboard in the same condition as when we started.
Ethics and Privacy
CSIRO’s Research Ethics and Privacy Committees have approved the project plan, confirming that there are no foreseeable risks for participants. You can find more information about the project and how your personal information is protected in the Privacy Notice and Project Information Sheet. If your household is selected for the study, each adult residing at the address will need to provide consent to participate. Consent will be collected online via a secure portal.
Benefits of Participation
The benefits are numerous!
- Contributing to Positive Change: Your household will play a crucial role in helping CSIRO improve research on apartment energy efficiency.
- Personalised Energy Report: Every household that participates for a minimum of six months will receive a report summarising the data we collect. This report, available at the completion of the project, may identify energy-intensive behaviours that you can target to save money on energy bills while enhancing your comfort at home.
- Keep the Devices: Your household will get to keep the $1,500 worth of devices we install, allowing you to continue monitoring your energy consumption and indoor comfort.
- Potential Future Research: If you choose to keep the devices, your household may be invited to participate in future CSIRO research aimed at helping you understand and address any energy-intensive behaviours or poor indoor environmental quality identified in the report. However, participation in future research is not a requirement to keep the devices or participate in this study.
Got questions?
Get in touch with the Project Leader, Dr Pippa Soccio via email at pippa.soccio@csiro.au or phone 0499 976 922.
