Collecting Data to Better Understand Household Consumption
While collecting data from participating households, we were helping them to understand how their household behaviors – from the food they eat to the energy sources they rely on to power their homes—impact climate change and water use.
Participating households provided access to their electrical energy consumption, reported water and natural gas consumption, and provided one month of food purchase data. Following the data collection period, participants were divided into three groups and sent emails tailored to normal consumption information, individual-level action and consumption, or system-level action and consumption information.
This study provided a unique opportunity to identify household consumption behaviors and introduce interventions to reduce environmental impacts. Through the communication platforms and follow-up surveys, participants realized their choices have an impact on climate change and they can do more—buying energy efficient appliances, using renewable energy sources to power their homes, programming the thermostat, changing their diets, and establishing new norms for household consumption.
The data collected throughout the project will be queryable for future usage. We have also developed an interactive game to educate consumers on the impacts of their food, energy, and water consumption decisions. In addition, a toolkit will be made available to help households track their consumption and the corresponding climate and water impacts.
Create Change
Over an 18-month period, the households reported their water and gas consumption, provided access to their electricity use, and provided one month of food purchase data. Following the data collection period, participants were divided into three groups and sent messages tailored to normal consumption information, individual-level action, and consumption, or system-level action and consumption information.
Build Data
The study provided a unique opportunity to identify household consumption behaviors and introduce interventions to reduce environmental impacts. Through the communication platforms and follow-up surveys, participants realized their choices have environmental impacts and they can do more—buying energy-efficient appliances, using renewable energy sources to power their homes, programming the thermostat, changing their diets, reducing indoor and outdoor water use, and establishing new norms for household consumption.
The data collected throughout the project will be queryable for future use. We have also developed an interactive game to educate consumers on the impacts of their food, energy, and water consumption decisions. In addition, a toolkit will be made available to help households track their consumption and the corresponding climate and water impacts.
HomeTracker Data
A FEWCON Project Database Repository has been compiled from the data collected using HomeTracker. The database includes monthly electricity, natural gas, and water use data for approximately 150 participating households over 18 months (January 2020 through June 2021), along with food purchases for two two-week food data collection periods. Survey data includes household demographics and structural characteristics (i.e., the Residential Energy Consumption Survey), and beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors expected to affect FEW consumption. A total of 11 survey rounds addressed specific topics, including food security, environmental and climate change awareness, COVID-19 risk perception and behaviors, and trust in institutions. An exit survey and exit interviews with a subsample of participants inquired about intended conservation behaviors following the completion of the study.
