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European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
Project

LIFE - DoppelPlus

LIFE - DoppelPlus
LIFE - DoppelPlus

Over a four-and-a-half-year period, the LIFE – DoppelPlus project’s initiative has advised energy-poor households in the Austrian state of Tyrol on how to minimise energy costs and adopt a more climate-friendly approach to everyday life. The project team, for example, advised residents on energy-efficient use of electricity, hot water and heating. In addition to energy and climate checks, stakeholders and target groups were addressed through workshops, seminars, dissemination activities and intensive media work.

A comprehensive monitoring campaign accompanied the project implementation, to measure the impact of the household consultations. The evaluation showed a significant energy saving potential of 1 700 MWh annually, and thus a CO2 reduction of 540 tonnes. At household level around 2 000 kWh per year was saved, which results in a saving of around €200 per household annually.

The LIFE – DoppelPlus project is well known in Tyrol, and it was strongly supported by the State of Tyrol. It contributed to the Austrian and Tyrolean climate targets for becoming fossil fuel free and for CO2 reductions by 2050. Due to the success of LIFE – DoppelPlus, the State of Tyrol decided to launch a follow-up project "DoppelPlus 2.0" that started after the completion of the LIFE project.

The lessons learnt from the project are that the problems of low-income residents who are affected by energy poverty can be addressed through targeted approaches. The linguistic and cultural background of householders must be considered; though the individual advice approach also offers the opportunity to resolve other housing problems at the same time, such as the mould infestation that occurs in many apartments. The approach also promotes the integration of immigrants and makes climate protection a concrete issue for all households, and therefore no longer an 'elite issue'. A more intensive cooperation with social partners, which have already a basis of trust within the target group, can lead to a higher acceptance of individual climate and energy advising. The project achieved its objectives, but its lasting positive effects can only be observed over a longer time period.