COVID-19 project

The coronavirus outbreak has resulted in the greatest national change in behaviour since World War II. This has resulted in very large changes in energy use as, for example, homes are occupied most of the time with schools being closed and many people are working from home and social distancing. After coronavirus restrictions have been eased, a ‘new normal’ pattern of energy demand is likely to emerge. SERL is uniquely placed to contribute to important research on how the UK’s energy needs have changed and may change in future as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The results will be used to help the UK:

• recover from the coronavirus pandemic,
• inform effective government policies, and,
• make energy consumption more secure, sustainable and affordable.

For more details about this study please see more FAQs for CV-19 survey participants

This is an observational study only so there should be minimal risks or disadvantages to you. Given the government advice to stay at home we encourage you to respond online rather than by post. The survey asks questions about changes to your household circumstances caused by coronavirus impacts which some participants might find sensitive.

Energy research is important to inform effective government policies and make energy consumption more secure, sustainable and affordable. Understanding how the UK’s energy needs are changing due to the coronavirus outbreak is important for helping the UK to recover from coronavirus, be better prepared for future emergencies, and to help the UK fight climate change going forward. You may benefit indirectly from these in the future. Taking part is intended to deliver benefits to society and to future generations.

The project is being led by University College London (UCL), in partnership with the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS), University of Essex (UK Data Archive), Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh, Leeds Beckett University, Loughborough University, University of Oxford, University of Southampton and the Energy Saving Trust, and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Ipsos MORI is supporting UCL with the study and is responsible for the mailings and processing the postal returns. This study has been approved by UCL research ethics.

In 2019 your household consented to participate in the Smart Energy Research Lab (SERL). Now we are writing to ask all of our participants to complete this survey so that SERL can contribute to energy research more effectively in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

You are not obliged to take part, but the success of the study depends on your participation. You can withdraw from this study or from the SERL project at any time by logging on to the participant portal, by e-mailing us at [email protected] or by writing to Smart Energy Research Lab, 14 Upper Woburn Place, UCL, London WC1H 0NN.

If you choose to take part in this study, you will need to complete a short survey which should take 10-15 minutes of your time. Your data will be stored securely at the UK Data Archive and made accessible through a secure environment to accredited UK researchers on approved research projects.

Your participation in the project will be kept strictly confidential. We commit to safeguarding your privacy and we will not share your data with any third parties other than accredited UK researchers working on approved research projects. Confidentiality will be respected subject to legal constraints and professional guidelines.

No, the data accessed for this study will not be sold and will only ever be used to conduct scientific research in the public interest.

We will publish the results of our research on our website and in a variety of publications such as academic books, journals, and at conferences. Individuals and households will not be identified in any publication.

Information on your rights as a participant and how UCL uses participant information are available here.
University College London (UCL) is the Data Controller for this project. UK Data Archive and Ipsos MORI are Data Processors. The UCL Data Protection Officer provides oversight of UCL activities involving the processing of personal data. If you are concerned about how your personal data is being processed, or if you would like to contact us about your rights, please contact UCL in the first instance at [email protected].

The categories of personal data used will include: name, address, smart meter data, survey responses, and energy performance certificate data (where available). The lawful basis used to process this data is performance of a task in the public interest. Your personal data will be processed as long as required for the research project. We will keep your data secure, store your contact details separately from data used for research, and minimise the processing of personal data wherever possible, in accordance with GDPR regulations.

If you wish to make a complaint you should inform us directly using the contact details provided. If you feel that your complaint has not been handled to your satisfaction you can contact the Chair of the UCL Research Ethics Committee – [email protected]. If you remain unsatisfied, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Full details may be accessed on the complaints section of the ICO’s website.