Introduction
community might compensate for this barrier.
The passive consumer as a barrier In a Danish context, anthropologically founded studies show that energy consumers are passive and non-interested in their energy consumption. This goes particularly for consumers of district heating. But why is that? It involves aspects related to reliability, access, automation, and interaction.
This article views district heating from a nontechnical perspective. It views district heating through the eyes of the consumers. How they interact with different energy systems, utilize and understand them, and how energy systems facilitate social norms and behaviors, and vice versa 1 . A key aspect of promoting district heating as a reliable alternative to natural gas in Denmark and Europe involves understanding and collaborating closely with local communities. Understand what motivates them and how they experience the barriers. Not just from a technical or economic perspective, but in a much wider context. In short, this article provides insight into why some consumers may say ‘yes’ and others ‘no’. User behavior in a household perspective – motivation and barriers Invisibility as a barrier Most consumers are only aware of their energy system when it ‘breaks down’. For example, when the boiler stops working at the beginning of December. At that point, consumers become aware of the system, even though it plays a crucial role in everyday life. With the energy crisis in 2022 as a consequence of the war in Ukraine, and sky-high prices on natural gas, we suddenly as a society became aware of our energy system and consumption. The system broke down it became visible. Consumers in Denmark were for the first time able to move their energy consumption to cheaper hours of the day, and many public institutions reduced room temperature 2 . But now, at least in a Danish context, our energy infrastructures have again become more or less invisible. Because they work as expected. We heat our houses again at a more reasonable price 3 . Energy, being invisible, is a general barrier for district heating, because the decision-making has to be taken at a time when most consumers do not pay much attention to their energy system. A close collaboration and dialogue with the local
From interviews, consumers have said:
“I think we use the energy we need…we don’t save, and if we feel like turning up the temperature, we do it” (quote from Danish energy consumer) 4 “If it is warm enough, we turn it off, and if it gets cold, we turn it on again” (quote from a consumer of district heating in a small village) 5 “It is the weather that affects our energy consumption. This is difficult to change” (quote from a consumer of district heating in the city) 6 What the quotes reveal is that consumers tend to give little thought to their energy consumption or behavior. They just use what they need or what the weather forces them to use 7 . Even though all the quotes are from interviews conducted before the energy crisis, the general picture has not changed. Because the passive consumer is being facilitated by the heating system itself. A lot of the material components are not visible to the eye; they are either built into the wall, ground, or automated. The consumer does not interact with it on a regular basis. E.g., floor heating or intelligent thermostats. In a household context, consumers can heat their homes with minimal effort. This might be a good thing. It supports high comfort, perhaps it is more energy efficient and thus cheaper, but it makes the energy consumer passive and the energy system even more invisible.
1 Strauss, Sara; Rupp Stephanie & Loue, Thomas, ‘Cultures of energy. Power, Practices, Technologies’, 2013 2 Energikrise: Kommuner skruer ned for el og varme 3 Flere danskerne vælger fjernvarmen fra | Få status på fjernvarmeudrulningen 4 Appendix 2 Energi i landområder (energy in rural areas), the DREAM-project 2012-2014 5 Antropologisk analyse, Fremtidsstrategier for mindre fjernvarmesystemer, 2015-2017, https://www.teknologisk.dk/_/ media/70550%5FFRESMIR%20Antropologisk%20rapport.pdf 6 ’Effektivisering af energiforbrug’, antropologisk analyse fra EUDP-projektet E-butler Effektivisering af energiforbrug, 2013-2015 7 According to an analysis from Statistic Denmark from 2025 - an average Danish family uses around 7 % of their income on energy and fuel, which might be very different in other European countries. Even though prices can affect consumption and behavior, especially for lower income groups, our conception of price and what we view as expensive/cheap is also situated in the local landscape.
31 www.dbdh.dk
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