10.2190/J9G1-8QJ2-PR55-1UEK J9G18QJ2PR551UEK 2 Evaluation of a Wisconsin Utility Home Energy Audit Program 303 320 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 J9G18QJ2PR551UEK.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=J9G18QJ2PR551UEK 4 Eric Hirst Stephen Grady Energy Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Science Applications, Inc., Oak Ridge, Tennessee <p>In February 1978, the Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) offered its residential gas-space-heating customers free on-site energy audits. Between then and June 1980, they audited about 19,000 homes. In September 1979, WPL decided to evaluate their audit program. The data they assembled included natural gas consumption records, the need for specific weatherization measures (as determined during their energy audits), and customer reports of their demographic characteristics and recent energy conservation practices and measures. This information was available for samples of customers that had received an audit in 1978 and for samples of customers that had <i>not</i> participated in the WPL program. Comparison of the data across the two groups showed considerable similarity. Program participants and nonparticipants were much alike in terms of pre-audit gas consumption, demographic characteristics, adoption of conservation practices, and attitudes on energy issues. The two groups differed significantly only with respect to conservation measures; this difference was probably due, in part, to the 1978 audits. These findings are somewhat weakened by the low response rate to the mail survey among nonparticipants.</p><p>Regression equations were developed to explain natural gas use for the two heating seasons after the 1978 audit The results showed the importance of floor area, age of house, household income, number of occupants, and temperature setting on gas use. The equations also showed that the 1978 audits had a statistically significant effect on annual gas use. Households that had an audit in 1978 reduced their consumption by 8 MBtu/year (8%) because of the audit. However, a regression equation estimated for the heating season before the audit showed that the audit group consumed 7 MBtu less than did the nonaudit group, which suggests that the audit only saved about 1 MBtu/year.</p> Energy Information Administration, <i>1980 Annual Report to Congress, Volume Two: Data</i>, U. S. Department of Energy, DOE/EIA-0173 (80)/2, April 1980. J. L. Blue, et al., <i>Buildings Energy Use Data Book, Edition 2</i>, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL-5552, December 1979. U. S. General Accounting Office, <i>Analysis of Trends in Residential Energy Consumption</i>, EMD-8J-74, Washington, D. C., July 9, 1981. E. J. Soderstrom, et al., <i>Evaluation of Conservation Programs: A Primer</i>, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL/CON-76, July 1981. L. Berry, et al., <i>Review of Evaluations of Utility Home Energy Audit Programs</i>, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL/CON-58, March 1981. T. A. Heberlein and Associates, <i>Assessing the Effects of the Wisconsin Power and Light Company Energy Audit Program</i>, prepared for the Wisconsin Power and Light Company, final draft, August 11, 1980. S. Grady, <i>Analysis of the Results of the Wisconsin Power and Light Home Survey and Audit Program</i>, Science Applications, Inc., prepared for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, October 1981. D. Shutes, "The Potential for Response Bias in Audit Evaluations," presented at the Electric Power Research Institute Workshop on Measuring the Effects of Utility Conservation Programs, EPRI EA-24.96, July 1982. 95th Congress, <i>National Energy Conservation Policy Act</i>, PL 95-619, November 9, 1978. U. S. Department of Energy, Residential Conservation Service Program, <i>Federal Register, 44</i>:211, pp. 64602-64760, November 7, 1979 and <i>Federal Register, 46</i>:218, pp. 55836-55874, November 12, 1981. R. B. Hutton and D. L. McNeill, <i>Marketing: An Approach to Successful Energy Conservation Information Programs</i>, University of Denver, prepared for the Region VIII Office of the U. S. Department of Energy, August 1980. SAS Institute, <i>SAS User's Guide 1979 Edition</i>, 1979. D. A. Pilati, <i>The Energy Conservation Potential of Winter Thermostat Reductions and Night Setback</i>, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL/NSF-EP-80, February 1975. M. Willrich and K. R. Kubitz, Organization and Regulatory Alternatives for the Energy Utility Industry, <i>Public Utilities Fortnightly, 107</i>:13, June 18, 1981. California Energy Commission, <i>Energy Service Corporations: Opportunities for California Utilities</i>, December 1980.