Tebbutt delivers consumer awareness of energy rating labels across the Pacific

Tebbutt Research was commissioned by the Pacific Community (SPC) to undertake a regional survey on consumer awareness and use of energy rating labels across ten Pacific Island Countries.

The research formed part of the Pacific Appliance Labelling and Standards project and contributed practical evidence to support energy efficiency policy, consumer education and appliance labelling initiatives in the region.

A publicly available country report from the study is available through the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE):

Survey of Consumer Awareness and Use of Energy Rating Labels in PICs – Kiribati Country Report

Project details
Client: Pacific Community (SPC)
Region: 10 Pacific Island Countries
Countries covered: Kiribati, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Niue
Topic: Consumer awareness and use of energy rating labels
Output: Published country report
Tebbutt role: Regional survey delivery, analysis and reporting

Turning Pacific research questions into usable evidence

Energy efficiency is a practical issue for Pacific Island Countries. Imported appliances, household electricity costs, consumer awareness, product availability and regulatory settings all shape how energy labelling policies work in real life.

Understanding these issues requires more than a questionnaire. It requires research that is technically sound, locally grounded and able to produce findings that decision makers can use.

This project is one example of Tebbutt Research’s role in helping governments, development partners and regional organisations understand Pacific communities through rigorous, practical and policy-relevant research.

A regional study across ten Pacific Island Countries

The survey covered consumers across Kiribati, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Niue.

Working across multiple Pacific Island Countries requires consistency in research design and data quality, while also recognising differences in geography, language, market structure, household behaviour and local context.

This is where Tebbutt Research’s long-term Pacific presence matters. We are not a fly-in supplier learning the region project by project. We have spent more than three decades building the people, systems, field networks, research capability and operational infrastructure needed to deliver reliable evidence across the Pacific.

What Tebbutt Research delivered

For this study, Tebbutt Research contributed to the full research process, including survey implementation, data collection, analysis and reporting.

The published Kiribati country report demonstrates the type of work Tebbutt Research regularly undertakes for regional and international clients: transforming structured research into clear, usable findings for policy, programme and communication decisions.

Our work on projects of this kind draws on in-house capability across:

• Research design and survey implementation
• Questionnaire localisation and field preparation
• Pacific field logistics and respondent engagement
• Quantitative data collection and quality control
• Data processing, analysis and interpretation
• Technical reporting and presentation of findings
• Practical recommendations grounded in Pacific realities

Fieldwork is an important part of this process, but it is only one part. Tebbutt Research is a full-service market, social and opinion research company, with the capability to design, deliver, analyse and report research across complex Pacific settings.

Why this work matters

Research of this kind helps decision makers understand how policies and programmes are experienced by the people they are intended to support.

In the case of energy rating labels, consumer awareness and behaviour are central to whether labelling schemes achieve their purpose. The evidence gathered through this project helped inform understanding of how consumers recognise, interpret and use energy rating information when making decisions about appliances.

For Pacific Island Countries, where energy costs, import markets and household budgets are significant policy considerations, this type of evidence is especially important.

Pacific research capability built over decades

Many organisations talk about Pacific experience. Tebbutt Research has invested in long-term local capability over decades.

Our teams work across urban, rural and remote communities throughout the Pacific. We combine local knowledge with centralised research systems, quality processes, data capability and professional reporting standards.

Pacific research requires more than access to respondents. Cultural understanding, practical logistics, ethical field practice, strong supervision, careful data handling, and the ability to turn evidence into findings that clients and stakeholders can use are all crucial.

This project reflects the kind of contribution Tebbutt Research has made across the region: supporting better decisions through reliable, locally grounded and professionally delivered research.

Published report

The Kiribati country report from this regional study is publicly available through PCREEE:

Read the report page on PCREEE