ASSESSING NEW ZEALAND HOUSEHOLDERS' HOME USE BEHAVIOURS: HOW ENERGY EFFICIENT ARE THEY?

In New Zealand, the government has developed an energy strategy to respond to the challenges of climate change. One of the target areas is "Energywise Homes" aimed to make homes more energy efficient. This paper outlines results from research conducted in 2011 to examine householders' preferences in relation to the size of homes they live in, the appliances they buy and the way they use their homes. These factors help determine how energy efficient homes are. Further, as the NZ Green Building Council introduced a rating tool for homes, Homestar (TM), the paper investigates householders' awareness of the new tool and any experience they may have had in using it. The results help identify where energy inefficiencies occur within the home and what behavioural and policy changes are needed to increase the uptake of energy efficiency and sustainability practices in homes.