MSc Dissertation

The overall aim of this research is to investigate the patterns of the occupants' thermal
behaviours while working from home, and how it is reflected on the heating energy
consumption profiles in the UK. The primary aims of this study are:
• Clarify the implications of working from home on households’ energy consumption
and energy space heating load profiles.
• Evaluate critically the behavioural factors of coping in cold home office spaces, and
the contribution of such behaviours towards heating energy consumption and
poor fuel households.
• Explore the occupants' thermal preferences and adaptations and the drivers and
barriers of thermal behaviours.
• Understand implications of the above to

To develop a comprehensive comparison between people's behaviours and expectations
during their working from home and working from standard offices, and to identify the
impact of staying at home and homeworking on thermal adaptations and household
energy consumption.

The research data of this study have been gathered from three main sources to be used as
pieces of evidence and in the recommended strategies: a literature review of relevant
articles, the collection of real data through interviews and questionnaires, and a
comparison of previous studies
Basically, the primary data is collected through a web-based questionnaire and follow-up
interviews, this integration will help to compare thermal adaptations between standard
offices and home offices, study the differences between post-pandemic and during the
pandemic.
The secondary data is collected from energy experts’ reports (Energyrev, Department of
Energy and Climate Change of the UK, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy, office of gas and electricity markets publications Ofgem), books, journal papers,
and recent studies.

This study has identified the coping strategies of occupants in winter while working from home.