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PowerUp: Consumer Voices in the Energy Transition

PowerUp enables consumers to influence how the energy system evolves so the system reflects the changing needs and preferences of Australian households.

What is PowerUp?

PowerUp is a deliberative research project to better understand the values, expectations, and needs of households in relation to Consumer Energy Resources (CER) and the future energy system.

As we transition to a net zero energy system, households will be increasingly expected to incorporate CER— things like solar PV panels, home batteries and electric vehicles — into their homes. This creates opportunities and challenges in planning and designing our energy future.

PowerUp will seek to explore consumer values, needs and preferences in relation to CER, including the trade-offs households are increasingly being asked to make between cost, control and behaviour change. Understanding these elements, what they mean, and the impact they have on different consumers is critical to building an energy system that meets consumer expectations.

PowerUp is a year-long conversation with consumers about the future of energy, so that we can better understand attitudes towards the kinds of choices consumers will be asked to make, both as individuals and as a community. These conversations will help ECA to gain deeper insights into values, expectations and needs, to amplify the consumer voice and ensure that all consumers can receive the benefits of our energy system as it transitions.

Key Outcomes

The ‘Power Up: Consumer Voices in the Energy Transition’ research program will enable ECA to incorporate consumer voices into the energy transition, with a focus on CER. Key outcomes of the research are to:

  1. Give consumers influence, which includes elevating the consumer voice to influence how CER evolves within the broader energy environment.
  2. Drive structural change, which includes providing persuasive evidence to government, market bodies, retailers, networks and installers on consumer values, expectations and needs to ensure the energy system, products and services transition with people front and centre.
  3. To build and share knowledge, which includes identifying knowledge gaps and pursuing new lines of questioning, building on existing research and identifying areas for future research.

Research Program Methodology

The PowerUp program adopts a longitudinal and iterative approach, collecting both quantitative and qualitative information. By engaging consumers with immersive activities, it will deliver unique future-focused consumer behavioural and attitudinal insights.

Activities

PowerUp is comprised of the following activities:

Learn More

We will be publishing results about the research as they are released.

To learn more about PowerUp contact Kat George, Associate Director of Research: kat.george@energyconsumersaustralia.com.au