Community based outreach strategies in residential energy upgrade programs

Abstract

Home energy upgrades can reduce residential energy consumption and improve indoor conditions, thereby realizing environmental, economic, health and other social benefits. Utilities, government and other actors have established numerous home upgrade programs, providing incentives, financing, marketing, and other support for the upgrade market. Unfortunately, upgrades have proven a "tough sell", with only a small fraction of eligible households engaging in these programs. To increase participation, many programs are experimenting with using formal and informal social networks as channels through which to promote upgrades, a process this thesis terms 'community based outreach' (CBO). Some analysts theorize that CBO can increase trust in programs, create social norms around undertaking upgrades, and improve the quality of information recruits receive; CBO may thereby persuade more households to participate in upgrades than could otherwise be achieved. However, questions remain regarding whether CBO can be delivered cost-effectively, and the extent to which it can increase total demand for upgrades. This thesis explores the use of CBO by six upgrade programs operating in five regions in the USA. Through interviews, it seeks program managers' and outreach personnel's qualitative impressions of the efficacy of different CBO methods, and the factors that contribute to this efficacy. It seeks answers to two questions: What specific CBO strategies have proven effective at increasing participation in programs? And what institutional arrangements dictating who organizes and delivers CBO can be sustained and scaled up, especially as Federal government subsidy wanes in the coming years? This research suggests that meeting-based formats provide a promising means of augmenting traditional marketing, capable of providing households a rich introduction to the concept of upgrade services and of leveraging social norms. It further finds that multiple network types are appropriate to promoting upgrades, and that marketers should seek to engage with a wide range of strong networks to deliver CBO. Coordinating closely with community organizations improves the delivery of program marketing, but marketers must be careful to use community groups' resources judiciously, to avoid 'burn out'. It concludes that CBO is not a panacea to the challenge of rapidly scaling upgrade programs. However, with community engagement and savvy administration, it can contribute to the cost-efficacy, sustenance and growth of upgrade programs.