Impact of energy literacy on vulnerable families: Case study-The Chilean Good Energy (Con Buena Energia) Program, Los Rios Region

In Chile, the Good Energy (Con Buena Energia) Program (PCBE) promotes energy education and technological change in the residential sector. However, five years into its implementation, its impact has not been evaluated. This article aims to measure the energy impact of this program for social housing in the Los Rios Region, propose improvements, and contribute to the design of measures for residential energy literacy at an international level. To this end, a characterization survey was applied to 64 families, and their electricity consumption before and after their participation in the program was analyzed. The results show that the greatest impact is obtained in families with an average monthly per capita consumption of between 25 and 35 kWh, who do not use electric heating, have 3 or more members, where the beneficiary has completed their secondary education, their per capita income is under CLP100,000, they are from income quintile 2, and they are under the poverty line. For social groups with other characteristics, specific programs must be built. Finally, this study contributes to gauging the energy impact of the PCBE, and also to establishing guidelines so that other programs can be evaluated, improved, and/or designed.

Automated summary

The Good Energy (Con Buena Energia) Program (PCBE) in Chile promotes energy education and technological change in the residential sector. This article evaluates its energy impact on social housing in the Los Rios Region, proposes improvements, and contributes to the design of measures for residential energy literacy internationally. A survey was conducted on 64 families, and their electricity consumption before and after participating in the program was analyzed. The study found the greatest impact on families with specific characteristics, and suggests the need for tailored programs for social groups with different characteristics.