Upper Austria Homes – Energy Advice Service to households, Austria

The Upper Austrian Energy Agency provides energy advice services on energy efficiency and renewables to households. ESV ensures quality control, continuous training of the advisers and commercial independence of the advice (that it is not linked to the sales of a product/service). Free advice is given by telephone, e-mail, in the advisory office, at advisory sessions held regularly in public buildings in the region, or in the home. It covers energy efficiency and renewables, ranging from simple questions to details of renovation or construction. Homeowners applying for a building subsidy in general come to the energy agency first, enabling the agency to explain the minimum energy efficiency levels they must achieve and to encourage them to aim for higher levels, eligible for higher subsidy. The energy agency is the first point of contact, and manages a network of trained advisers, who are paid on a fee basis as sub-contractors. Many are self-employed or work for small engineering companies. In total, around 10,000 clients are advised in detail every year (excluding short phone calls), several thousand of which are face-to-face.