3e Houses was a European-funded project that linked Bristol with Spain, Germany and Bulgaria and aimed to help Council tenants reduce their energy consumption by 20% in a year.

43 houses in Knowle West and 57 flats in central Bristol took part in the project from April 2012 until May 2013.

What did it involve?

Equipment was installed in 100 homes to monitor electricity and gas with data sent through a wireless router. Participants were given the latest touch screen Toshiba tablet so they could view their electricity and gas usage online every hour through an exciting, visual website developed by artist Dane Watkins. They could also monitor up to five appliances such as a kettle, washing machine or television, and track what they were spending. A number of tenants who were not online were also given free internet for a year so they could take part in the project.

KWMC Director Carolyn Hassan described the 3e Houses as “part of Bristol’s pledge to get more people digitally engaged as well as a way of helping to tackle fuel poverty and help people to live more sustainably.”

Workshops

Participants living in Knowle West came to workshops run by KWMC to learn how to use the tablets and website and share energy-saving tips. Support was also given to participants through phone calls and visits to homes if needed, as well as visits from technical staff if equipment was not working or offline.

What we’ve learnt

We produced a Best Practice Guide with tips, pitfalls and lessons learnt to help others looking to run similar energy projects in the future.

3e Houses was run by Knowle West Media Centre with partners Bristol City Council, Toshiba Research Europe Ltd (TREL) and IP Performance.