auto_stories A guide to the aggregated small energy users method

An aggregated small energy users project involves you working with large numbers of small energy users who are mostly households and small businesses. The design of the project may require the participation of tens of thousands of small energy users. There will be two groups:

• a treatment group that has access to your goods and services to try to reduce their energy use, and
• a control group that has no such access.

Control and treatment group site are referred to as ‘populations’. Individual households are allocated to each group at random, using a statistically valid sample process.

You can choose the goods or services you offer to the treatment group to reduce emissions from grid electricity and natural gas consumption. You might make changes directly, for example by installing new equipment in buildings, or indirectly, for example by providing information to treatment group households or small businesses on the benefits of energy-saving activities. No changes to affect emissions can be made directly or indirectly to the control group during the project.

The aggregated small energy users project allows for a wide range of activities, within the following broad categories:

• information about energy consumer behaviour, or opportunities to reduce emissions from energy consumption
• installing, removing or making changes to equipment, such as replacing inefficient light bulbs
• making changes to the way equipment is used, such as installing standby power controllers for television and audio visual equipment
• installing, removing or making changes to parts of the building, such as installing draft seals on external doors, or
• changing the energy source used to power equipment at treatment group sites, such as installing new efficient gas heaters (both electricity and gas would need to be monitored as part of the project) .

Details of what is required for an aggregated small energy users project to be considered eligible by the Clean Energy Regulator are in parts two and three of the method and explanatory statement.