Search eceee proceedings
The crucial role of habits in energy consumption: an evolutionary approach on changing current patterns
Panel: Panel 8. Dynamics of consumption
Author:
Kevin Maréchal, Centre for Economic and Social Studies on the Environment (CESSE), Université Libre de Bruxelles – Université d’Europe, Belgium
Abstract
A substantial body of literature has shown that our behaviour is often guided by habits. The existence of habits – not fully conscious forms of behaviour – is important as it contradicts rational choice theory. Their presence thus calls for the setting of new instruments as they make it unlikely that consumers be capable of exercising control over their energy consumption in reaction to given incentives. This is further increased in the evolutionary perspective where the current carbon-based Socio-Technical System constraints and shapes consumers’ choices through structural forces. Habits being potentially “counterintentional”, they may explain the “efficiency paradox” in energy as well as the continued increase of energy consumption despite the rising environmental awareness among the population. Policies aiming at reducing energy consumption should thus specifically address the performance context of habits. For instance, targeting new residents has proven to be more effective given that their preceding habits have been disturbed. The results of our empirical analysis confirm this idea by showing how a change of context makes people more receptive to a proposed measure. Our analysis of the role played by habits also suggests that individuals do not consider the need to change existing habits as an obstacle even though this is contradicted implicitly in the answers they provided to open questions. This “unconsciousness” is one of the most delicate features of habits and it should thus be accounted for when designing measures. Given the other characteristics of habits, the joint use of feedbacks and commitment strategies appears promising.
Paper
Download this paper as pdf: Paper
Panels of
Panel 2. Policy implementation: learning from the past, improving the future
Panel 1. The foundations of future energy policies: Initiating change and breaking walls
Panel 3. Monitoring & evaluation: understanding change and how to deliver energy efficiency
Panel 4. Residential and commercial sectors: delivering lower energy use in buildings
Panel 5. Energy efficiency in industry
Panel 6. Energy efficiency in transport and mobility