Students Achieving Valuable Energy Savings 2 (SAVES2)

Students Achieving Valuable Energy Savings 2 (SAVES2, May 2017-Jan 2021) catalysed sustainable energy behaviours among over 219,000 university students in seven countries to help them reduce their exposure to fuel poverty. It incorporated two strands: students living in university accommodation (Student Switch Off) and those in the private rented sector. Student Switch Off is an energy-saving competition that involved students living in the dormitories in the universities of the partner countries. By identifying and training student ambassadors in each dormitory, and by motivating the ambassadors to encourage their peers to save energy, it created a race among students in dormitories, each competing to save the most energy and win prizes. It tapped into online student communities through social media, using engaging digital communications. In turn, the private-rented sector engagement work reached students when they were looking for, moving into and living in the private-rented sector. It enabled students to make better-informed decisions, thereby routing purchase decisions towards higher-efficiency properties. The project incorporated national-level partnerships with smart meter delivery agencies to develop student-focused communication materials that highlighted the benefits of smart meters. It provided advice and support to students via energy-efficiency and bill management training, peer-to-peer advice sharing via video blogs and regular e-mail and social media communications. The project was built on and continued the previous project, SAVES (2014-2017), which included a student behaviour campaign in dormitories only.