“For the times they are a-changin”: the impact of shifting energy-use practices in time and space

Abstract

The introduction of extensive wind power in pursuit of 2050 carbon reduction targets presents a major challenge to electricity networks because when the wind blows (supply) does not necessarily match when people want to use electricity (demand). As electricity storage remains very expensive, flexible demand will have an important role in balancing the grid. While there is scope for smart solutions such as automation and pricing, people will need to become more flexible in the longer term. Accordingly, the aim of this research was to look at time-shifting energy use. Using practice theory helped move the study beyond a merely technical, individualised or structural approach. This interdisciplinary research used 24-hour in-house observations, interviews, metered energy data and three energy time-shifting challenges. The results challenge current approaches to demand response and suggest that disruption is a normal part of everyday life around which practices are able to rearrange themselves and that it is, therefore, possible to consider changing energy-use practices. While it is necessary to consider the relationships between practices and the fact that they are temporally and spatially anchored, it is possible to locate agency within them and therefore to suggest strategies for changing them. Unlocking this flexibility remains the challenge but a range of innovative options for doing this is suggested.