How occupants behave and interact with their homes: the impact on energy use, comfort, control and satisfaction

Through incentives such as the Feed-in Tariff and the Green Deal, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of new homes arising from energy efficiency.

However, realising the benefits is as reliant on human interaction and behaviour as it is on the theoretical performance of the individual technologies.

This publication reviews current and previous research carried out with users of low and zero carbon homes. It summarises how the energy use of homes is significantly affected by the actions of their owners, considers the perceptions of homeowners to micro renewable technologies, and assesses the relationship between occupant behaviour and energy efficiency.