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Q: What is energy efficiency and why is it important at home and on a global level? A: Energy efficient methods are those methods that aim to reduce the amount of energy used by a process in providing a products or service. While keeping the same final end product and obtaining the desired quality levels, these methods reduce energy consumption or even eliminate it completely by using alternative energies. The ECCC deals with conservation of electrical energy in the home…. That energy we use to operate our appliances, switch on our lights, heat our homes and water supply, etc… every gadget, big or little, around the house offers us an opportunity to challenge our thinking and reduce our electricity consumption in an intelligent and conscious way. Statistics for 2010 show that the Maltese population consumes an average of 4.5 units of electricity per person per day. In order to provide this electrical energy, the power station generates 6.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year!!! This is a large amount and is negatively affecting our environment. We must act NOW….. !! - Q: What is the EU project “European Citizens Climate Cup” (ECCC)? A: The project is part financed by the Intelligent Energy Europe program and aims to increase awareness among the public with regards to conservation of electrical energy and thus reduce the levels of CO2 associated with the generation of this electrical energy. The ECCC is a competition in which households are to make a conscious effort to reduce their electricity consumption. The competition winner will be that household that shows the largest reduction in their energy consumption through intelligent methods of energy use. - Q: What organisations/countries are participating in this initiative? A: The project is being held in 10 countries including Malta with PiM as the local project representative - Q: What are the aims of the project? A: The aims of the project have been inspired from the EU's targets with regards to energy consumption. The EU aims are to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% in the year 2020 when compared to 1990 as the reference year. This means, that assuming a constant reduction in emissions, we need to reduce our consumption of electricity by 1.5% each year… The ECCC aims to help people achieve this target by offering tips and advice on how to reduce electricity consumption in the home. In actual fact, the ECCC is confident that this target can be achieved and exceeded and in this way the project will serve as an encouragement to others to follow suit. You as a participant have the power of example!! - Q: For how long will the competition last and How many participants will there be? A: The competition starts in April 2011 and is open for a whole year until April 2012. You can join the competition during any at any point in time during these 12 months. Malta is aiming to reach out to 150 households. The other participating countries have different targets. However, there is no limit to the amount of participants. - Q: Who can participate? A: The competition will measure a reduction of electrical energy consumption in the home… therefore it is open to households. In practical terms, the participant is the household and the family members are the team players who will be doing the effort to reduce their energy consumption. It does not make a difference whether you are a home owner or a tenant in a rental residence. You can still take part in the competition. There is also no pre-requisite to the type of house, e.g. terraced house, apartment, maisonette, etc… all can participate. - Q: Are there any charges for participants? A: No, there will be no charges or fees at any point in time for participation. From the point of registration up to the end of the competition, the participants will not be asked to pay any fees. - Q: What is in it for the households? A: The householder has a lot to gain through participation in the ECCC… 1. Reduction of your energy bill Through your continous effort to conserve electrical energy, you will be reducing your electricity bills and saving money. For example, by using energy saving bulbs instead of incandescent ones, you can reduce your lighting electricity consumption by 50% to 70%. In terms of money, this implies that for each bulb in your home that is switched on for 7hrs a day every day, you can reduce your energy bill by €20… and this is for only one bulb… imagine your savings when you switch all your home lighting to energy saving bulbs. 2. Possibility to win the final prize The ECCC will run both on a local and international level. The prize for the Maltese winner is of €2000 worth in prizes that will be won by the household that registers the highest reduction in energy consumption. The Maltese winner will then compete together with the other participating countries in the final session in Brussels. The Maltese winner shall be announced after April 2012 and, apart from the €2000 prize, will also be entitled to a trip for two persons to attend for the final ceremony in Brussels all expenses paid. 3. Access to energy saving tips Throughout the competition the ECCC shall issue newsletters with energy saving tips and ideas on how participants are to save on their energy consumption. You have a lot to gain as a participant to the ECCC! - Q: How often do people need to enter meter readings into the system? A: The participant is required to enter 3 energy bills or meter readings into the system. The first bill or reading must be a taken on a day in April 2010 or earlier. The last reading is to be that of April 2012 or close to the end of the competition. However it is highly recommend for the participant to have a good chance to win the competion to enter as many energy bills and meter readings as possible. The suggestion is to enter a meter reading every couple of weeks and any time you receive an energy bill from ARMS Ltd. This will allow the participant to view the trend of energy consumption in the household and be aware of the effect of any changes that have been implemented and how these are affecting the energy consumption. - Q: Does it make a difference if one has a smart meter already installed or not? A: No it does not make a difference. All types of meters are eligible as long as the participant has access to the meter and can take readings. - Q: Is the competition only open to people having internet access? A: In order to participate in the competition one has to enter personal details and consumption trends in the online system. However, if you need our support with the registration process and entering consumption data, please call us on 2142 0852 or email us on malta@theclimatecup.eu - Q: What is the Energy Savings Account? A: The Energy Saving Account (ESA) is the virtual space on the internet where the participant can enter consumption data and view the consumption trends and also have access to the energy saving tips. - Q: What exactly is the householder called to do? A: Since the competition is managed via the internet, the first step for the participant is to register on the ECCC website and complete the registration process by entering the details of the household. The registration engine will guide the user through the various steps and collect information about the household. Once the registration process is complete, the participant will have access to his/her Energy Savings Account (ESA) from where he/she is called to enter consumption data. At the start the requirement is to enter data for the past year or more. This will serve as the comparison period onto which the consumption of the following year (April 2011 to April 2012) shall be compared and evaluated. e.g. if the consumption from April 2010 to April 2011 was that of 1000 units of electricity and that from April 2011 to April 2012 totals up to 800 units of electricity, one can say that the household has managed to reduce its electricity consumption by 20%. The more meter readings and energy bills one enters into the system, the more real and useful will be the information that can be extracted from the ESA. One can also enter events into the system where particular changes in the household can be recorded, e.g. the replacement of the current fridge to a more energy efficient model, the installation of a solar water heater, etc. These events shall be presented in a graphical form together with the consumption trends and will allow the user to better interpret the changes in the electricity consumption and evaluate the impact of the changes implemented. - Q: How is the winner chosen locally and internationally? A: At the end of the competition, in April 2012, the Malta ECCC shall identify that household that has registered the highest level of electricity consumption reduction. That household shall be awarded the title of “Maltese Energy Saver of the Year”, €2000 worth of prizes and an all-paid trip for 2 persons to Brussels to participate in the final session and compete against the winners of the other participating countries. The identification of the winner of the international competition shall by monitored by a panel of judges composed of MEPs from each participating country. - Q: Do participants need to keep records of their bills? A: Definitely. The data entered into the ESA by the participant must be verified against the utility bills. Therefore, it is important to keep past and future bills for the competition. - Q: What sort of assistance will the project provide? A: First of all, the Malta ECCC is offering a free home energy audit to the first fifty (50) registrations to the competition. The energy audit will be conducted by qualified engineers who will give advice on how to conserve energy in the home and use that energy more efficiently. Secondly, the Malta ECCC call centre is available to all participants to provide assistance in terms of usage of the ESA. You can call us on 2142 0852 from Monday to Friday 8:30 - 17:00 - Q: My electricity meter has been changed to a Smart Meter. Can I still participate ? A: Yes. The ESA allows a user to create multiple meters for their electricity consumption. Therefore, one can create a new meter and commence to enter meter readings &/or bill data for the new meter once it is installed. The old meter can also be decommisioned on the ESA once the final meter reading is entered.
- Q: I have installed a PV electricity generation system in my home. At what stage do I enter information into the ESA ? A: The details of the setup of the PV system can be entered into the ESA at any time convenient to the user. Records of units generated and fed to the grid will be those as documented on the utility bill, i.e. as of the date of installation of the PV meter by ARMS. |
