Attitudes to energy use: Second Survey

Background and Context

As you may know, for the past 18 months, APAL has been conducting the Watts in your Business energy efficiency information program. The aim of the program has been to provide businesses within the apple, pear, cherry and summerfruit industries with information about how they can save energy and so reduce energy costs. To achieve this aim, the Watts in your Businessprogram:

  • Conducted 30 energy audits in packhouses and on orchards across Australia;
  • Produced sixfactsheets and ninecase stories about how to reduce energy use and the opportunities growers had seen or responded to save energy –these factsheets and case stories are now available from the APAL website at
  • Conducted 10 packhouseseminars/walks in the main fruit production regions of Australia –these reported the energy saving opportunities identified in the audits and distributed the factsheets and case stories to growers. They used a regional packhouse as a “hands on” demonstration site.

Did Watts in your Business achieve its aims?

As a project, Watts in your Business is now almost complete. Before we started the above activities, APAL surveyed growers in the apple, pear, cherry and summerfruit industries with regards to their energy use and their attitudes to energy use. As part of evaluating the project and seeing if it made a difference, another survey will be conducted. This time the survey just addresses attitudes and intentions of growers. By comparing the data from this second survey with that developed from the first, will show whetherWatts in your Business made a difference or not.

Purpose:

To evaluate the effectiveness of the Watts in your Business energy efficiency information program.

Confidentiality:

Data collected will be kept confidential. If the data is requiredfor use in any way that would identify you or your business, your permission will be sought before hand.

Instructions:

  • Fill in the survey electronically, save the survey and email it back to APAL Executive Assistant/ Administrator Nikita Block at ; or
  • Print the survey, fill it in by hand and fax to APAL 03 9329 3522; or
  • Print, fill in by hand, scan and email to APAL Executive Assistant/ Administrator Nikita Block at .

Please return by Friday,7 November 2014

Any Questions?Contact Watts in your Business Project Officer Russell Soderlund on 0400 117 360 or .

Section 1 – contact details

Name______

Position______

Phone. No.______Email: ______

Please list below the types of crops grown and the proportion of each:

CropProportion of total production per year

______%

______%

______%

______%

______%

Do you pack fruit within your business operations? (tick one)

Yes___

No___

Section 2 – participation in APAL’s Watts in your Business program

Are you aware of APAL’s Watts in your Business energy efficiency information program? (tick one)

Yes___

No___

Did you attend one of the Watts in your Business packhouse walks? (tick one)

Yes___

No___

Section 3 -– attitudes towards energy efficiency

In relation to your business, please place an “X” in the box to indicate whether you agree or disagree with each statement.

Question / Strongly disagree / Disagree / Don’t know / Agree / Strongly Agree
Our business is aware of their current average yearly energy consumption in kWh.
The cost of energy bills come as a surprise to our business when received.
We can predict what our energy bills will cost our business in 2015.
We are currently phasing out the refrigerant R22 due to changes in Australian regulations (please leave blank if you do not use R22 refrigerant).
Being energy efficient is important to our staff.
Our business would be interested in implementing energy saving programs that provided a 3 year payback on investment.
Our business would be interested in implementing energy saving programs that provided a 5 year payback on investment.
Our business would be interested in implementing energy saving programs that provided a 7 year payback on investment.
Our business is aware of government funded programs which can help us to implement energy saving projects.
Our business is aware of new technologies which would help save energy on our site.
We believe that by implementing energy saving programs and technologies we can save our business money.
We believe that the “Watts in your Business” programhas helped increase our awareness and knowledge of energy saving technologies which will help reduce energy consumption and operating costs.

In the nexttwo years our business is considering/investigating the following energy saving upgrades and or capital improvements related to energy use:

______

Do you have any general comments about the value of the Watts in your Business program to your business?

______

Thankyou for your time in completing the survey.

Watts in your Business Team

EEIG Attitudes to energy use 2.Page 1