Passive House Plus sees digital spike during Coronavirus crisis

This article was originally published in issue 34 of Passive House Plus magazine. Want immediate access to all back issues and exclusive extra content? Click here to subscribe for as little as €10, or click here to receive the next issue free of charge

The standing total for digital reads of the Spring 2020 UK edition of Passive House Plus is 4,402 reads, compared to a standing total of 747 reads for the previous issue. Back issues of Passive House Plus tend to accumulate digital reads slowly over time, typically averaging circa 3,000 reads after a year or two. The magazine’s ABC audited average circulation for the print version of the UK edition averages 8,971 copies, with an average of 1.99 readers per copy (based on the 2019 Passive House Plus reader survey) indicating a print readership approaching 18,000 people.

The spike in digital readership resulted from a decision to drop the paywall on the digital edition, as part of a strategy to increase readership and boost exposure for advertisers feeling the effect of the Covid-19 lockdown, while providing readers with access to the magazine at a time when they may have scope to catch up on reading. In order to enable readers to receive the magazine at home during the lockdown, a form was setup on the Passive House Plus website for readers to request a free copy to be sent to their home address.

“We’ve elected to keep the paywall down for this issue too,” said editor Jeff Colley. “If our print and digital edition readership is combined, the total would be over 22,000 readers (assuming no duplication between print and digital reads). We’re delighted to be able to reach such a large and loyal readership, and to inform as many people as possible about the detail on how to build or retrofit to the highest standards of comfort, energy efficiency and indoor air quality.”

The spike in performance was also evident with the Irish digital edition of Passive House Plus. The standing total for digital reads of the Spring 2020 Irish edition of Passive House Plus is 5,847 reads, compared to a standing total of 819 reads for the previous issue. The magazine’s ABC audited average circulation for the print version of the Irish edition averages 6,424 copies, which stands as the 2nd largest circulation of any B2B magazine in Ireland. With an average of 2.08 readers per copy (based on the 2019 Passive House Plus reader survey), the Irish edition has an estimated print readership in excess of 13,000 people