Families around Australia are needed to take part in RMIT research to better understand how electricity is used in households with children.

The study will explore how families use electricity at home. Image: Flickr/Nicholas Liby

The 2014 Family Energy Study is investigating potential outcomes for households with children as a result of policy changes aimed at addressing challenges of electricity supply and demand in Australia.

As part of the study, parents and guardians are needed for an online survey about how they juggle activities, priorities and electricity use at home.

The study is being conducted by Dr Yolande Strengers and Dr Larissa Nicholls at RMIT’s Centre for Urban Research (CUR).

CUR Research Fellow Dr Nicholls said the survey would give members of the community who have children living at home the opportunity to communicate what is important for their family.

‘It’s a time of change in the family home with the recent introduction of new devices and technologies,’ she said.

‘So it’s important to ensure that the specific needs of families are considered in any future electricity market reforms.’

The online survey is open to all electricity grid-connected households in Australia with one or more children under 18 living at home.

Parents and guardians can complete the survey, open until 13 October, at the Family Energy Study website.

Two randomly selected survey participants will each receive a $500 ColesMyer gift voucher.

An interim report from an earlier stage of this project is available on Australian Policy Online and the final report and recommendations will be published in early 2015.

This project is funded by the Consumer Advocacy Panel as part of its grants process for consumer advocacy projects and research projects for the benefit of consumers of electricity

Originally published on RMIT News.