Metering refers to the measurement of resource consumption,
particularly for electricity, gas and water. Most residential
dwellings have individual electricity and water meters, and
where town-gas is available, a gas meter. The popularity of
metering data stems from its ability to provide a quantitative
measure, which conforms to the adage “that you can’t manage what
you can’t measure”. Metering provides consumption data that can
be collected at various points in time, such as before a project
commences, and after the implementation phase, thereby providing
a before-after comparison which can be analysed statistically.
The idea behind the collection of metering data is to monitor
changes in resource use, and evaluate the behaviour change
project’s impact. Before and after data comparisons should only
be only be made for comparable seasons in order to avoid
seasonal variations. Even when comparing between the same
seasons, it may be worth noting the average climactic indices
(eg. temperature, rainfall) in orde