A nudge in the right direction reduced tenants' electricity usage

Nudging has been tested as a way of changing consumption patterns of tenants in a residential area in Fjärås, Kungsbacka. A study undertaken as part of the European research project Enflate shows that the strategy produced good results when the load on the electricity grid was at its highest.

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, municipal housing company Eksta, and software developer Noda Intelligent Systems are collaborating on the Enflate project's Swedish demonstration site in Fjärås. They are testing an energy system model that flexibly selects energy sources – solar, district heating or electricity – based on availability and price. A further aim is to involve local residents.

So during a trial period last spring, tenants on a particular street (Humlevägen) were given a friendly nudge, in the form of a daily text message. These messages could, for example, urge them not to use the washing machine or dishwasher, or charge their electric car, during a specified hour of the day when demand for electricity was expected to peak. Sometimes they were also informed about possible climate and environmental benefits, and how the electricity grid works.

A follow-up study shows that the text messages reduced household electricity usage during peak hours by up to 15 per cent, compared to a control group of 134 households that did not receive any such messages.

Many households have electricity contracts that do not allow them to benefit financially from reducing their electricity consumption during the hours of peak demand. However, the results in this case show that the tenants changed their behaviour nonetheless. This makes it interesting to consider extending nudging to other areas, says Christer Kilersjö, CEO of Eksta Bostads AB.

The daily text messages are just part of what is being done at the Kungsbacka demo site. Other efforts have centred on technical solutions, e.g. the installation of an electric boiler as a complement to district heating and solar energy, as well as testing how smart washing machines and dishwashers affect results. A crucial success factor is Noda's development of an AI-based digital structure for optimizing the district's flexibility.

The energy system optimization model developed by IVL and applied to the demo site aims to utilize available flexibility resources for sustainable and cost-effective development of the local energy system in the long term, says Dmytro Romanchenko, energy systems expert at IVL who is leading the work on the Swedish demo site.

The results will form the basis for calculations and conclusions at national level. Initial results show a promising potential for cost savings and reduced climate impact.

A report on the nudging trials in Fjärås can be downloaded here: Nudging Flexibility – The effect of an environmental nudge on electricity demand-side flexibility among tenants External link, opens in new window.

On 30 September, the Swedish partners will present the work in Fjärås in a webinar. Read more and join the webinar here: Webinar about the DemoSite in Kungsbacka, Sweden External link, opens in new window.

For more information, contact:
Dmytro Romanchenko, dmytro.romanchenko@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 69 20

The Enflate project, funded by the EU's Horizon Europe research programme, will run until 2026, with a total of 30 partners from several European countries. Demo sites are also located in Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Switzerland. Read more about the project here: Enflate – IVL.se