EiMap – Communication strategy promoting energy-efficient refurbishment during the home purchasing process

Within the EiMap project, a “folder for new homeowners” is developed as a communication instrument, as well as a synchronised dialogic communication campaign and tested in the field.

Research approach

The project team develops and implements a dialogue marketing strategy with which climate agencies and consultants can raise the issue of climate protection with home buyers. This way, prospective home buyers can be made aware of the issue prior to the actual purchase and hence be motivated to implement energy-efficient modernisations.

Folder for new homeowners

In addition to other communication modules, the researchers develop a “folder for new homeowners” together with related agencies. This folder contains information on the topic of energy-efficient modernisation for property transfer. It can be supplemented if necessary and is the starting point of a dialogic communication process. During this process, climate agencies and consumer advocacy centres can offer more tailored information as well as consulting services on energy-efficient modernisation.

The practice partners test the folder during and the communication campaign in a field phase. The researchers evaluate the acceptance and the impact of the campaign by using an empirical survey among final customers and participants. These results are incorporated into the final version of the new homeowners’ folder, which is then made available to climate agencies and consultants. Furthermore, the partners develop folder matching communication and marketing modules, such as informative events or special initial consulting for prospective home buyers.

Rationale

The concept is based on the realisation that home purchasers are passing through a multi- level search and decision process. During its course, they come into contact with a series of persons and agencies such as real estate agents, banks or land registry offices, which can be activated to become “ambassadors” for the cause of energy-efficient modernisation. The results of empirical studies and conceptual preliminary considerations of the ENEF-Haus project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) form the basis of the EiMap.

Cooperative partner

• Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW)

Practice partners

• Bremer Energie-Konsens
• Climate Protection Agency Hanover Region
• Consumer advocacy centre in Northrhine-Westfalia

Funding

The project „Communication strategy ‚property transfer‘ promoting energy-efficient refurbishment when purchasing a home – EiMap“ is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) within the national climate protection initiative, grant no. 03KSF017A.