If tenants were offered well-organised energy services, energy savings of up to 20 percent could be the result. This was one of the key findings of the European research project "BewareE" coordinated by the IZT. All the results of the project were published in two German-language handbooks and are available for download: "Energiedienstleistungen für Haushalte" (IZT Workshop Report 108) and "Energiedienstleistungen für Mieter und die Wohnungswirtschaft" (IZT Workshop Report 110). As a supplement, the researchers have now published 100 data sheets with good European examples in English. These examples show the variety of approaches with which very different actors have tried to support tenant households in saving energy.

Households are responsible for around 30% of total energy consumption. Due to the long service life of buildings, improving energy efficiency in the building sector also means that energy consumption only changes slowly. Estimates assume that energy consumption in existing buildings could be reduced simply by changing the behaviour of occupants without any real reduction in comfort being necessary.

Changes in the energy consumption behaviour of tenants and users are the focus of the research project "BewareE - Reducing the energy consumption of residents through behavioural change". The aim was to identify good examples of energy services across Europe in order to highlight the opportunities for housing companies to take action. The first step was therefore to identify energy services in Europe and compile them in an "energy service catalogue". Together with housing associations and companies, selected examples were adapted to the national framework and strategies for their implementation were developed.

The service catalogue and introduction plans for these services were widely communicated among housing companies and energy service providers.
The research project was funded by the EACI Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation as part of the Intelligent Energy Europe 2006 programme (FKZ EIE/07/242/SI2.467624 - BewareE). It started in December 2007 and ended in May 2010, with the IZT as project coordinator. Our European partners were IVAM in Amsterdam (Netherlands), EifER in Karlsruhe (Germany/France) and INASMET in San Sebastián (Spain). National partners from the housing industry were the BBU Berlin-Brandenburg Housing Association, the BFW Federal Association of Independent Housing Companies and the GdW Federal Association of German Housing Companies.

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