Beacon

Step 1: sign up for the project.  (Recruitment is now closed for this project)

Step 2: fill out an survey of how you think your home performs and what you see as the main problems which need to be addressed.

Step 3: an assessor from one of our HomeSmart partners (CEA, EcoMatters Environment Trust, Energy Options and EnergySmart) will visit to assess the current state of your home (the HomeSmart Renovation Assessment).

Step 4: you will receive a HomeSmart Renovation Plan on the most effective ways to improve your home’s performance.

Step 5: once you have received your Plan, you may be contacted for a follow-up phone survey to get feedback on how useful the information in the Planis to you, and whether it has changed your intentions for your renovations. 

Step 6: we monitor household energy and water bills, and for some houses, indoor temperatures, to establish how well the house performs before and after renovation.

Step 7: let us know if you have undertaken (and when) any renovations or actions recommended in your HomeSmart Renovation Plan. 

Why monitor your home?

All houses being renovated as part of the HomeSmart Renovations project are to be monitored. What we learn will help us to evaluate how the programme is performing in bringing homes up to a high standard of sustainability. The information we collect will enable both better understanding of the benefits of retrofitting homes and the best ways to do this.

We may need to monitor:

• Energy use (electricity, gas and firewood)
• Water use
• Indoor temperature
• Indoor humidity
• Ventilation
• Your experiences of living in the house

The “before” picture

Before you start your renovation, you’ll fill out a survey about the current running of your home. This includes a review of your previous electricity bills (and gas and water if available). From this we can create a “before” picture which will be compared with an “after” picture on completion of your renovation.

Before renovation!

Monitoring levels

These will vary from home to home and will depend on which steps you may have completed from your HomeSmart Renovation Plan. There are two monitoring levels: Standard and Intensive. We’ll discuss these options with you and advise which we’ll be using in your home.

1. Standard monitoring
We would like to access your electricity and gas bills and, if you receive them, your water bills as well, to see how the renovation is affecting your energy (and water) use.  You will be asked to take part in a survey at the end of your renovation. A staff member from Beacon or one of our research partners (CRESA or BRANZ) will call to arrange a convenient time for an interview and to take some measurements.

2. Intensive monitoring
We would like to access your electricity and gas bills and, if you receive them, your water bills as well, to see how the renovation is affecting your energy (and water) use. In addition, Beacon will install some monitoring equipment. Two temperature and humidity loggers will be placed in your home.  These are small wall-mounted sensors which record data every 30 minutes.  One will be located in your main living area and the other in one of the bedrooms.  At the end of the project we will remove them. If you don’t already have one, we will also install a water meter, so that we can track your water use.

You will be asked to take part in a survey at the end of your renovation. A staff member from Beacon or one of our research partners (CRESA or BRANZ) will call to arrange a convenient time for an interview and to take some measurements.