Research into household energy affordability

A number of government agencies are joining up to research household energy affordability in New Zealand.

The research will increase our understanding of how people think about heating their homes, how much energy they use and how they make choices about what they can afford to spend on energy costs.

Led by the Ministry of Social Development and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority the project, funded by the cross-departmental research pool, began in July 2008 and will run for three years.

Following initial planning and a literature review, interviews with stakeholders are planned for April and May this year.

Householders will be interviewed this winter with a survey conducted in 2010.

The research will establish the extent of energy affordability problems in New Zealand and identify which groups are most at risk.

By understanding the problems around energy affordability, we can explore the best ways to address the issues raised.

The findings of this joint project will be shared with various policy groups to provide the basis for future initiatives and ongoing collaboration in the area of household energy affordability and efficiency.