On the 1st of September 2020, the NUDGE project was launched and will run until August 2023. The project aims to positively influence consumers to improve their energy efficiency through behavioural science, without necessarily using financial benefits. The project is fully EU-funded as part of the Horizon 2020 programme and consists of a Consortium of nine organisations from Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy and Portugal, and one coordinator from the Netherlands. The project intends to reduce peoples’ energy consumption and carbon footprint by smart and sustainable use. For instance, smart meters and other appliances allowing consumers to track and control their own consumption will be used in the process.
The project will use a mixed approach during the research phase – combining surveys and field trials – to analyse consumers’ habits in five different EU Member States, with the aim of building tailor made solutions to guide them into selecting options that consume less energy.
Leading people on an international scale to consume less energy could help in the implementation of more Smart Homes and Smart Buildings, markets that are expected to grow in the future. A point of attention for the project will be the comparability of the results depending on the countries and the added value for the European Union in order to build the most relevant policies.
The name NUDGE was chosen because nudging has the potential to positively alter someone’s behaviour without changing their options or economic incentives. This is what this project is trying to achieve: nudging people to improve their energy habits for environmental purposes. More information about the project can be found on the website.
The Advanced Technology for Industry (ATI) project has recently published a policy brief on Responsible Digital Transformation. This policy brief provides an overview on how to link digital and circular economy policies.