Two tenants, one from each of the two fitted properties were interviewed as part of the research: Chris and Ali. During the last in-person interview with Ali, their partner was also present and answered a few of the questions.
The participants (2) were recruited with support from the Council. The properties were fitted with the heating system when empty, then advertised to prospective tenants through the Council’s social housing system. The house listings mentioned that the houses had been fitted with the Wondrwall technology and that by moving into the properties, they were agreeing to being part of the research. The participants were given the option to withdraw from the study at any point, without having to give a reason for this.
Interviews were conducted over the phone and in person and interview notes were taken during each one.
Chris was in their early 20s at the time of the research and lived in the house with their one-year-old child. Their partner lived in the property on a part-time basis. They didn’t have a set schedule and rarely left the property. Before moving to their new address, they lived in a flat with their parent, which was heated via radiators (the type of their previous heating system is unknown). This meant that they had limited previous experience of managing their heating and bills.
Ali was in their mid-30s and lived in the house with their partner and two children (both under four years old). They were mostly at work during the day, while their partner was mostly at home with the two children. Prior to moving into the property, the family lived in a two-bed flat with a gas boiler, traditional radiators and thermostat. They previously managed their energy use by using the thermostat to turn the heating on and off or setting a timer, for example, at night or when they were out.
(2) Pseudonyms have been assigned to maintain the anonymity of participants
