Programmable Thermostats that Go Berserk? Taking a Social Perspective on Space Heating in Wisconsin

Monica.J Nevius, Energy Center of Wisconsin and Departments of Sociology and Rural Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Scott Pigg, Energy Center of Wisconsin

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Abstract

This paper describes the results related to space heating and thermostat use from a study of owner-occupied, single-family residential housing in Wisconsin conducted by the Energy Center of Wisconsin in 1999. We find that the average self-reported winter thermostat setting does not vary substantially by type of thermostat used, is predictive of heating energy intensity in a way that is consistent with expectations, and appears to be a good indicator of actual thermostat-setting behavior, assuming that the goal is to compare the behavior of households rather than to gather an accurate report of their actual thermostat settings. We also find that attitude toward energy conservation appears to have an indirect effect on household heating energy intensity by way of thermostat-setting behavior. The results offer further evidence in support of including social and behavioral variables in traditional engineering-based studies.