Focus Groups

We conduct “focus groups” to increase our understanding of the attitudes and values among the various consumer group. This is necessary to develop economic, juridical, political and technical instruments and tools to overcome barriers.

We will also address the question about “windows of opportunities” and how these windows can be opened by individual situations and changes in the energy framework created by energy providers, political authorities and NGOs.

One other important question is the relationship between the three strategies: 1) turn off/switch, 2) increase energy efficiency and 3) changes towards renewable. To which degree are they regarded as alternatives or is it possible to identify synergies between them?

The Focus groups are empirical and methodical based upon the quantitative survey and the stakeholder interviews. The focus groups constitute the third element in the methodological triangulation.  

We will carry out a limited number of Focus Groups among strategic consumers groups in the actual countries. With strategic groups we mean people with different windows of opportunities and people with different social background:

• We will distinguish between ordinary, stable households and households who are in a transition process where they build, rebuild and repair houses and flats, or move from one residence to another. We will identify their windows of opportunities also related to mode of transport.
• Other strategic groups could be linked to 1) social patterns and lifestyles 2) gender and age differences

The research process will be divided into four stages:

1. Development of interview guidelines
2. Focus groups
3. National reports
4. European integrated report