The report summarises the experimental results from EUDM's pilot household energy use survey. The report includes key findings from several randomised controlled trials conducted in Victoria to scientifically test the cost-effectiveness of different strategies and incentives for improving survey response rates. Detailed information about the survey's experimental design, sampling approach, methodology, measures, statistical analyses, and overall results are presented.

Key findings are provided for four types of response rate strategies:

• traditional incentives (upfront token gift vs. delayed reward);
• a motivational message on the survey envelope;
• an intrinsically-motivating attentional cue (a handwritten post-it note affixed to the survey); and
• a reminder postcard sent two weeks after the initial survey invite.

A full-factorial design was deployed, to empirically test the individual and interactive effects of the four strategies on survey response rates. Statistical results are presented in terms of sample characteristics, survey response rates, survey response times, survey response modes, sample representativeness, participants' willingness to share energy data, and survey cost-effectiveness. Key conclusions/implications and recommendations for future surveying are also outlined.

Note that results and statistics are unweighted and refer only to respondents of the survey. Demographic skew should be noted.

For background information on the wider design of the EUDM pilot survey and data stemming from that surveying, please see the Related Resources listing on this page.