Erica Myers, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champlain, ecmyers@illinois.edu, 217 300-2023
Maya Papineau, Department of Economics, Carleton University, mayapapineau@cunet.carleton.ca, 613 520-2600 x.3758
Nicholas Rivers, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, Faculty of Social Science, University of Ottawa, nrivers@uottawa.ca, 613 562-5800 x.4676
You have been selected to participate in a study on home energy use. The aim of the study is to understand how information on home energy consumption and home energy efficiency may affect future energy use. The research being conducted by National Fuel Gas Distribution, MyHEAT, and university researchers at the University of Illinois, Carleton University, and the University of Ottawa.
The research will use data on natural gas consumption by households from across the National Fuel Gas Distribution area to understand trends in natural gas consumption. The research will include data from your home, unless you prefer that your data is excluded from the study. Directions on how to opt-out are provided below.
As part of the study, you are provided with information on your dwelling’s natural gas consumption, heat loss, and potential ways to reduce natural gas consumption. You may decide to act on this information, but there is no requirement for you to undertake any action. This is a research project that seeks to understand the factors that shape natural gas consumption in households. You will be receiving information on your gas use, but don’t need to do anything special as part of this research project.
This research will use natural gas consumption data that is collected by National Fuel Gas Distribution for billing purposes. Information on your home’s natural gas consumption will be used to determine the average energy consumption across many homes, and will not be used in isolation. Any information on your home’s energy consumption will not be linked to your name or to your address, and no link will be drawn between your identity and your natural gas consumption by the Principle Investigators for this research.
This study uses data on residential natural gas consumption to understand the factors that shape the use of energy in the home. The researchers listed above will have access to anonymized natural gas consumption data to conduct analysis. They will not be able to link natural gas consumption to your home, your name, or your street. Any data collected will only be used for this study and will be kept confidential on a secure, encrypted server.
All anonymous data used in this project will be stored on a secure, encrypted server for five years following the completion of the study. It will not be accessible to anyone except the researchers listed above.
You are not required to participate in this study, and if you would like to opt-out, please follow the instructions below. If you do participate, you will be sent feedback on your energy use, home energy efficiency, and options for improving energy efficiency over the next few months. Given that data provided to the Principle Investigators will be anonymized, they will not be able to identify and remove your data once it is provided to with them.
If you have more questions, we’d be pleased to answer them. Contact us through the contact information provided above.
To opt-out of this research please fill out the form below. If you opt-out, none of your data will be used in the research project.
If you have any questions regarding the ethical conduct of this study, you may contact the Protocol Officer for Ethics in Research, University of Ottawa, Tabaret Hall, 550 Cumberland Street, Room 154, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Tel.: +1 613 562-5387
Email: ethics@uottawa.ca
If you would like a copy of this information for your records, you can download it here.