Would you like to play a part in an exciting new research project on electricity use in Victorian homes and go into the draw to win an iPad 2?Expressions of interest
We are currently seeking expressions of interest from households (owner-occupied only) located in metropolitan Melbourne to participate in the study. We are looking for both apartments and detached/semi-detached houses.
Please fill-in this online registration survey to express your interest in participating. This survey is easy to complete. However, please note that there are a few questions about your electricity bill (cost and kilowatt hour consumption) and it would be useful to have a recent electricity bill on hand, or at a minimum be able to estimate the cost of your most recent electricity bill.
The project will be undertaken over the next five months and is limited to only 13 houses so if you are interested in being considered make sure you register your interest ASAP.
What will be installed in my home?
Participants will have the following equipment installed as part of the project:
- Metering equipment installed in the switchboard by a qualified electrician
- 16 small plug-in power meters installed throughout the house on individual appliances or groups of appliances
- 10 small light meters installed on the ceiling or attached to the light fitting to monitor the usage of the main lights
- 5 small temperature meters installed on walls in key rooms throughout the house
The meters will be installed for a period of 6-8 weeks. Once installed the meters are fairly unobtrusive and should not cause any disruption to the normal functioning of the house. More details and pictures of the meters can be found in the FAQ document.
What is the process?
If you're selected to participate, there will be a number of steps to the project. These are outlined below:
| Description | Duration |
| Phone interview
A demographic and appliance survey will be carried out over the phone to gather information on the household to assist with the analysis of the data collected. |
30 minutes |
| Visit 1
A registered electrician will undertake an initial check your electrical switchboard to check the compatibility of the metering equipment with the switchboard and confirm suitability for inclusion in the study. This visit is more a safeguard and most houses will pass this inspection. However, if any problems are found at this stage the house will be unable to participate in the study. |
30 minutes |
| Visit 2
A registered electrician and two technicians will install metering equipment in the electrical switchboard and inside the house, and undertake an audit of the lighting and main appliances in the house. Please note that access to all areas of the house will be required. |
5-6 hours |
| Visit 3
Removal of all logging equipment from the house by the electrician and the two technicians. Please note that access to all areas of the house will be required. |
1-2 hours |
Additional visits to the three listed above may be required if there are any problems with the metering equipment, but this is very unlikely and was not required for any of the houses participating in the pilot study.
Interested in participating?
Please fill in this registration survey to express your interest in participating in the project. Shortlisted households will be contacted by telephone to discuss the requirements of the project and confirm involvement.
The project is limited to only 13 houses so if you are interested in being considered make sure you register your interest ASAP.
The first installation of the metering equipment will commence in early February and is expected to be complete by the end of July 2012. Exact timing will be discussed with the shortlisted households.
Only households selected to participate will go into the draw to win an iPad 2. So, if you're selected for the project you'll have a 1 in 13 chance of being the lucky winner! Refer to the FAQ Document for further details about who is eligible to enter the iPad2 competition.
Further information
Additional information can be found in the FAQ document. If you have any further questions can also contact Govind Maksay at MEFL.
