First observations in children’s
electricity consumption in NZ
households
Ikerne Aguirre-Bielschowsky
Centre for Sustainability (CSAFE)
University of Otago
OERC Symposium
24 November 2011
Context
 Sustainability: peak oil + global warming
 Children as citizens + future decision makers
Aims
 Identify and understand the different factors
influencing children’s electricity usage in NZ
households
 Assess the potential of children in encouraging
their families to adopt energy efficient practices
Energy Literacy
Intended
Knowledge + Attitudes + behaviour
Social Norm
Personal
behaviour
Family
practices
Family dynamics, communication and negotiation
Barriers regarding electricity savings
Methods
 Qualitative
 Interdisciplinary
 10 families x 3 schools
 Year 5




Environmental programme
Medium socioeconomic background
High socioeconomic background
9-11 years old
Semistructured individual interviews:
parent + child + teacher
Photo elicitation
Survey for parents
Focus groups: 4-6 children x 3 schools
First observations…
 Focus groups with two schools
 Large Dunedin schools
 No environmental programme
 Decile 10: 3 boys + 3 girls
 Decile 5: 2 boys + 2 girls
 1 hour long
 Video + audio
 5 to 10 photos + drawing
Computer
TV
8
“I could have took millions” (Tom)
“I took 24 photos so…” (Simon)
6
Stereo 5
Microwave 5
Fridge, stove 4
Phone 4
Heat pump 4
Lamp 3
Dishwasher 2
Keyboard 2
Toaster, mixer 2
Water tap
Lights
Shower
Heater
Boiler
DVD
Water filter
Gaming
iPad
Shower Times
No rules
“Long, long [...]. 30 minutes or so since I don’t want to get out.” (Simon)
Common understanding
“There’s no rules except [...] you can’t take four hours in the
shower...”(Jonathan)
Negotiation
“[...] for about 20 minutes but if we are doing it before school what we do
quite a lot is only about 5 minutes [...], ‘it’s time to get out of the shower
now Tommy boy’ [...] I don’t… I don’t listen.” (Max)
Rules
“It would have a timer [...] and when you have once two minutes shower it
will stop running the water so…” (Larry)
Heaters and Heat Pumps
Self-control
“I just sit in front of it [heat pump] until I get really warm and then I just turn
it off [Rachel: So you are not going to be tempted to stay there for the rest
of your life?] No, that would be a waste of energy”. (Jonathan)
Instructions
“Well just mum or dad tell me to.” (Rachel)
“Dad just tells me [...], I don’t play with things that aren’t mine.” (Larry)
No interaction
“Well I don’t really do any with heaters, I just leave them as they are.”
(Max)
“Mum hides the remote [...] so we can’t tamper with it.” (Linda)
Lights off
“I turn off the main lights but then I sort of forget with the lamp.” (Linda)
“No, I don’t.” (Emma)
“Yeah, [...] it would [...] waste electricity.” (Tom)
Trying to save electricity
“Sort of [...]. I turn off the light and I try not to take very
long in the shower and… well, I try, I don’t… that
doesn’t usually happen though, and I do… we use
snacks from the pantry more than cooking and don’t
use the car very much, mum walks, she makes us walk,
and we wear our clothes for a few days so she can only
do washing once a week or something.” (Linda)
“Yeah, we turn off the lights and if we are not using
something we turn it off.” (Alison)
Problems - Cost
“Electricity bills [...]. Mum gets $300 dollars and she hates it!” (Rachel)
“[...] cause you won’t be able to pay the power then they will turn off
your power and then you won’t be able to watch TV and stuff like that…
like my next door neighbour.” (Larry)
“It costs money and my mum can save enough for my birthday present.”
(Simon)
“So you don’t end up poor and like me you can pay the rent.” (Emma)
Problems – Finite electricity
“So [...] electricity doesn’t run out basically [...]. If everyone leaves
everything on then probably everywhere but probably just in your house not
absolutely everywhere, that would just be quirky.” (Tom).
“If all the electricity made out in the world at the same time would end
up… caveman and have to catch in about animals and eat them [...].”
(Emma).
“This generation have used quite a lot of natural resources, soon the
next one will go ‘damn that other generation, what did they did for us?’ It’s
like Santa not giving you your birthday present [...]. If everyone goes like
‘ah, I don’t count’ and they just sit back many other people do that and
then… [Simon: We’ll die!]. Yes, we’ll die (all laugh) [...]. Because we lose
our natural resources just like ‘damn the trees’ (all laugh).” (Max)
Problems – Environment
“Environment! [How is that related to using electricity?] I don’t know, don’t
ask me that [...] mum says stuff.” (Linda)
Tom: I used to think that it was pronounced “global warning”.
Larry: I don’t know what that is.
Emma: Global warming is a big thing that space ships have to go through
[...].
Tom: Global warming is when the world warms up too much and Antarctica
basically melts [...]. Electricity causes fires sometimes. [...Saving
power] makes global warming slow down basically, using less
electricity causes less fires.
Do you talk about saving electricity with your
parents?
“Not really.” (Alison and Larry)
“They [parents] know how [to save power]
but they just don’t want to.” (Max)
“Mum forgets about the jug I tell her
‘did you have your cup of tea or coffee?’
[...]. She’s okay with me reminding her.”
(Emma)
Learning sources
“We’ve had other people come in [school] and just tell us a bit about it.”
(Simon)
“I read the electricity bill [...] ‘how to lower your electricity bill?’.” (Rachel)
“This man [on TV] who goes like ‘if you want to be warmer and you do not
want to use your heater [...] you should blah, blah’.” (Max)
“We kind of see signs out and about in the world.” (Max)
“Mainly from my parents” (Larry)
“On the computer, or books” (Tom)
Energy Literacy
Intended
Knowledge + Attitudes + behaviour
$
Environment
Finite electricity
Positive
?
Personal
behaviour
Helping to
save power
Family
practices
Thank you!
Questions?
Acknowledgments
Prof. Rob Lawson
Dr. Janet Stephenson
Prof. Sarah Todd
Energy Cultures Group