Distributing Energy Efficiency Kits or Cosy Kits is one of the most common ways in which energy communities (ECs) can alleviate the impacts of energy poverty in the very near term.
Delivering a ‘gift’ that improves people’s thermal comfort – and in turn their health and well-being – can be a welcome gesture. It can also be an effective means to establish one’s reputation as having nothing to gain from the interaction and starting to build a trusting, longer term relationship.
Typically, the kits are prepared with a selection of small, useful items that either help save energy or help people feel warmer in winter or cooler in summer. They are also a handy way to distribute more information, including about ways to ‘spend energy more wisely’, how to change energy suppliers, and other services that households can tap into if they are struggling with energy bills.
What to include in Kits?
A fundamental question linked to preparing Energy Efficiency Kits or Cosy Kits is whether to standardise or customise the contents. The former has the advantage of being more efficient at the purchasing and packaging stages but may result in some families having devices or items that they never use. Customising packages according to questions asked during a telephone interview, for example, can help ensure the families get what is most useful to them but can be extremely time-consuming for EC staff or volunteers.
| Examples of items to improve thermal comfort or safety | Examples of devices that help reduce energy |
| – hot water bottle – blankets – thermal socks – chimney balloon to stop heat loss and cold draughts – light torch (in areas with frequent power cuts) – cold alarm (which sounds when a dwelling drops below a set temperature) | – insulting strips for windows and doors / draught excluders – power bars with on/off switches – timer device to insert in power sockets – LED light bulbs |
ALIenergy typically includes 1 blanket, 1 hot water bottle and 1 pair of socks in Cosy Kits. Their cost, when buying these items in bulk, is approximately €12 per bag. If a given family needs more blankets but no socks, ALIenergy will try to customise as requested. This can, however, lead to running out of stock of one item while having a large quantity of others.
Delivery options, pros and cons to consider
When used in conjunction with Home Visits or Energy Cafés, Energy Efficiency Kits and Cosy Kits serve as a concrete follow-up to discussion that can seem quite abstract to householders, which can be very powerful psychologically. Delivering the kits in group settings, such as Energy Cafés, can create an opportunity to encourage people to exchange items among themselves. One family, for example, may not need a power bar but would welcome having an extra LED bulb while another family may be happy to barter.
When delivering kits, CEES Partners felt sincere appreciation on the part of recipients as the contents were shown and explained. Often, the people targeted would be hard pressed to spend money on such items, even if they understand their value. More importantly, kits can quickly deliver tangible benefits, whether it be people feeling less cold or seeing a drop in the next month’s energy bill. Over time, that can translate into better physical and mental well-being and additional money to spend on other necessities.
Demonstrating energy solidarity through such practical help, even if it is low-cost and provides minor improvements, can help ECs create a more powerful bond with the people most vulnerable households in their communities. For people who have long felt marginalised, the experience of engaging with an organisation that ‘practises what it preaches’ can have strong impacts. Also, such families are often told ‘how’ they could improve their situation but lack the tools to do so; the donation of practical tools can be vitally empowering. In turn, it builds the credibility of the EC and the advice it offers.
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