Using an energy intervention framework to evaluate end-user willingness to participate in demand-response activities

This paper describes the results from implementing an energy intervention framework, a novel method to evaluate consumers' willingness to participate in demand-response actions. An energy intervention scenario encouraged consumers to change consumption behaviour during peak hours in December. Consumers' participation was measured through a web-based survey as well as using smart meter data. The study included 528 consumers divided into three groups: i) participation with economic compensation; ii) participation without economic compensation; and iii) control group. In total 106 households responded to the survey, 53 stated that they actively took part in the energy intervention. When analysing smart meter data it was evident that the groups that had received the intervention and confirmed their participation had lowered the load compared to the control group by 19%. The monetary incentive did not have a positive effect on either participation rate or reduced consumption. None of the participants claimed the economic compensation.