About the research
In order to make effective energy policy, governments are interested in gaining an accurate and cost-effective understanding of energy demand in households. The current system is to use Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), but these require on-site visits, which are expensive, and don’t always provide accurate results. Energy epidemiology is a relatively new area of research that aims to help reduce energy demand and contribute to effective and sustainable energy policy. At the heart of this practice is data, from which researchers develop empirically-grounded statistical models to build up a picture of underlying drivers of energy demand in UK dwellings. The UK Data Service’s Data Services as a Platform (DSaap) provides an integrated, safe environment where they can analyse smart meter data and weather data together to build new and innovative models.