Consumer inertia to energy saving

Ole Michael Jensen, Danish Building Research Institute

Keywords

barriers, energy saving, inertia, lifestyle, reputation

Abstract

Many years of energy saving consultancy, energy labelling and research on energy-consumption have revealed a great potential for energy saving. At the same time many consumers give the impression that they are conscious of energy consumption. Nevertheless there is evidence that a great potential is not being utilised and that profitable energy-saving investments are not made. The reason is attributed to barriers, which in different ways prevent the responsible household consumers from taking the steps required for changing their behaviour, replacing electrical appliances or investing in energy saving measures.

The notion of barrier comes from a barrier model rooted in a techno-economic paradigm. A contrasting alternative model, rooted in a socio-cultural paradigm, was developed which is called the inertia model. Following this, it is fear of harming your reputation rather than barriers that creates an inertia to energy saving.

In the study new owners of detached houses eligible for an obligatory energy assessment was questioned about their disinclination for energy saving. The study revealed that different kinds of disinclination correlate to different house owners and their situations in life. A main finding was that energy saving rarely supported conspicuous, i.e. clearly visible consumption, although it is the essence of being a new house owner.

The aim of the project presented was to provide energy advisers, consultants and others with new methods for exploiting ever more energy saving potentials.