In the light of today’s high electricity prices, more people wish to reduce their energy costs. Using less energy is not only good for your wallet but also for the environment, and there is a large potential for increased efficiency in energy consumption. Here, municipal energy and climate advisors can play an important role – not only for individuals but also on a system level, as a link between citizens and policy makers, as shown in a new mapping from Chalmers.
It can be difficult to know what you as an individual energy user can do to change your energy consumption. It is also easy to get lost among all available information, especially when a lot of it comes from commercial actors interested in selling their products and services. In Sweden, tax money is used to provide individuals, associations, and small- and medium-sized companies with free and independent advice in the form of municipal energy and climate advising. They give advice on how to increase energy efficiency, do climate smart renovations, or how to think around solar panels and charging stations for electric vehicles. The past few years, the energy advisors have seen a large increase in demand for advice around energy consumption.
In a new study, Chalmers researchers Ingrid Mignon and Lisa Winberg at the division for Innovation and R&D Management have mapped the municipal energy and climate advising service in Sweden. The study shows that the energy and climate advising is an important policy instrument in the transition of the energy system that society stands before.
Beyond providing locally adapted advice that promote smart energy on the individual level, the advisors also play an important role on the societal level. Through outreaching activities, education, and collaboration with other actors, they contribute to increased knowledge and awareness about energy in society as a whole. Moreover, they are a link between citizens and policymakers, both on a municipal, regional, and national level. Through the regional energy offices and the Swedish Energy Agency, the advisors have the possibility to impact the agenda for national initiatives within the advising service.
“Energy and climate advisors fill an important function, not only for the individuals contacting them but also from a societal perspective”, the researchers declare.
Based on the mapping, the researchers have the following recommendations:
- Through their role on a municipal level, the energy and climate advisors have a unique competence about the local context when it comes to implementing national guidelines. It is important that policymakers make use of this competence, by providing additional possibilities for feedback on a municipal, regional, and national level.
- On the same note, this local competence should be taken advantage of to identify new national initiatives on the energy advising, for example as topics for the so-called focus projects.
- Overall, the exchange of knowledge and experience between advisors and other actors in the municipalities, regions, and nationally should be promoted.
About: Energy and climate advisors in Sweden
There are energy and climate advisors in most municipalities providing free and independent advice about questions related to energy use, such as heating, energy efficiency, transportation, energy costs, and solar photovoltaic panels. They are funded by grants from the Swedish Energy Agency, and they are coordinated by the Swedish Energy Agency and the regional energy offices.
About the study:
The study “The role of public energy advising in sustainability transitions – empirical evidence from Sweden” is published in the scientific journal Energy Policy, volume 177, June 2023: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113525. The research has received funding from the Swedish Energy Agency.
- Doctoral Student, Innovation and R&D Management, Technology Management and Economics
- Associate Professor, Innovation and R&D Management, Technology Management and Economics