"The complexity of the matter in question" is the inspiration behind the creation of these free, open-access educational online courses, which are available for anyone with the required digital skills, Fernanda Santos, the national coordinator for DECO Associação has shared. Energy is an essential good that everyone uses daily, but it's indeed a complex topic that is not always easy to understand. As Fernanda Santos explains, “Every month we have to pay the electricity bill, and so the consumers must have the best possible knowledge about how energy works, and how to best use electricity at home”.

The efficient use of energy, which translates into a reduction of our consumption of energy enables us to “reduce our monthly bills”. DECO’s national coordinator has disclosed that diagnostic research of consumers was carried out before the launch of these online courses and that one of the primary worries of Portuguese consumers is their energy bill. Because of this, there is a continuing need to lower the amount that people have to pay at the end of the month for the benefit of the individual consumer, something which also has a positive impact on the environment.

Healthy planet

According to Fernanda Santos, “It is important to understand that besides being crucial to reduce the consumption of energy in our homes when we do this, we are also being more sustainable and contributing to a healthier planet”. Reaching carbon neutrality is one of the main objectives of the European Commission for 2025, so each one of us must know how to switch our energy consumption behaviours for the better. “The courses offer a personal motivation; at the same time, they are contributing to the national and European targets regarding sustainability”.


Furthermore, DECO has acknowledged that they have received numerous complaints about the matter because it's "one of the sectors where people feel they receive higher bills, or extra services which they are not aware of what they refer to". Thus, the additional incentive for the courses is to teach consumers how to better understand their bills so they can modify them to suit their requirements (e.g., by switching tariffs, traders, or services), as well as to increase their knowledge.


Better customers

As stated by the coordinator Fernanda, “It is very important to visit these online areas, as they help us become better consumers.” The ‘Sustainable Energy’ course focuses on the importance of sustainability and the role that our behaviours play in the environment. The ‘Comfortable Houses’ course helps us understand that there are energy efficiency measures that can make our homes more comfortable (specific materials that should be utilised to have better insulation, better rentability and consequently less waste of energy). The third course offered - ‘Managing Consumption’- helps simplify all the information required to make choices that are more suited to your real needs, from the contracts to sign to lowering the amount of your monthly bill. Lastly, the ‘Self-consumption: Individual Energy Production’ course assists the consumers in learning more about renewable energy, photovoltaic panels, how to become a self-consumer and even an energy seller.

Since the courses are digital, a younger demographic, primarily those between the ages of 18 and 35, can easily access the courses in order to help them cope with energy-related challenges as they begin their independent lives. The purchase of equipment and how to use the energy label is one of the key topics covered in these courses. As the coordinator shares, "It's critical to support customers in considering this kind of home appliance purchases, as it can result in significant daily savings because energy-efficient home appliances will pay for themselves over time, even if the equipment itself is more expensive”.


Interactive

The courses were created by DECO's technicians in cooperation with other subject-matter specialists. "They are very interactive; the technicians explain the material in a way which does not require lengthy readings”, Fernanda said adding that “however there are supplemental documents for those who wish to expand their knowledge”. Each course concludes with a collection of questions designed to assist participants in wrapping up any loose ends and determining whether more research is necessary. Additionally, each consumer who completes the course is given an online certificate.

The Energy Virtual Assistant (EVA) information portal, created by DECO, provides another course called ‘Apoios’(Aid) which teaches individuals and families how to use the ‘efficiency vouchers’ or access the ‘special tariff’. As the coordinator explains, "EVA is ready to answer digitally to any customer who wants to learn more about the subject. It ends up being a multi-faceted approach to the capacity that we have to help our consumers”. EVA also offers a chatbot with chat GPT for customers who wish to connect and get more instant general information, as well as an online community where consumers can communicate their doubts in real time. “We feel that a lot of consumers solve their problems through these channels, but we still want to be present in their lives, therefore we have our delegations where we have in-person customer service for those who are not so digitally skillful”.

DECO has also conducted, within the scope of the project, workshops directed to vulnerable families across Portugal. The six-hour living-lab workshops can be undertaken in partnership with the interested municipalities “in order to help vulnerable families to undertake a better management of their consumption of electricity”. A variety of formation areas designed to assist customers in developing their expertise has also been implemented by DECO Associação. As Fernanda Santos concluded, "As I have previously emphasised, energy is a complex theme, so consumers must constantly enhance their knowledge and skills as consumers, as required by the market".

Author

After studying Journalism for five years in the UK and Malta, Sara Durães moved back to Portugal to pursue her passion for writing and connecting with people. A ‘wanderluster’, Sara loves the beach, long walks, and sports. 

Sara J. Durães