This dataset contains qualitative data collected using semi-structured interviews and a structured survey at four time points during the REFIT field trial of smart home technologies which involved 20 households. A related data collection containing survey data is available via Related Resources /Related Data collections. This was also part of the part of the REFIT project. A national survey was conducted to measure perceptions of smart homes. The survey instrument was developed and tested by the project team. The survey was implemented online during September - October 2015 by a market research company using a representative sample of UK homeowners. A total of 1054 responses were collected.These datasets were collected as part of the REFIT project (`Personalised Retrofit Decision Support Tools for UK Homes using Smart Home Technology’). The REFIT project ran from 2012 - 2015 as a consortium of three universities - Loughborough, Strathclyde and East Anglia - and ten industry stakeholders. During the REFIT project, twenty households were recruited into a field trial of smart home technologies in Loughborough, UK. The field trial ran from October 2013 - October 2015. Smart home technologies were installed in participating households from May - August 2014. During the field trial, the REFIT project team collected quantitative data on real-time electricity and gas usage (from smart meters) and qualitative data on perceptions and usage of smart home technologies. This dataset contains the qualitative data. The qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews, surveys, and video ethnography. The video files are not shareable (as they cannot be anonymised). This dataset contains transcripts, notes and responses from the semi-structured interviews and surveys. The interview and survey data were collected at four time points or cross-sections during the two year field trial. All twenty households participated at time point one (on agreeing to participate in the field trial) and time point two (prior to installation of the smart home technologies). A subset of ten households participated at time point three (immediately after installation of the smart home technologies) and time point four (after installation of the smart home technologies).

The qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews and surveys. Interviews were conducted face-to-face with all household members (Interviews1 and Interviews4) or by phone with adult household members separately (Interview3). Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed by a professional transcription company. Transcripts were checked for errors by the interviewer and anonymised. Surveys were self-completed by household members using paper copies of the survey instrument given to households by the project team. Survey responses were coded and entered into a summary data spreadsheet by the research team.