Moral norms, self-efficacy, structural impediments and energy saving behaviour

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Author:
John Thøgersen and Alice Grønhøj, Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University, Department of Marketing and Statistics, Aarhus, Denmark

Abstract

We propose a conceptual framework for understanding private consumers’ (lack of) energy saving effort based on Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory. Results from applying this framework on a sample of Danish private electricity consumers are presented and it is concluded that household’s electricity saving effort depends on the strength of their personal or moral norms, self-efficacy and perceived impediments for doing so. It is suggested that detailed feedback about their household’s electricity consumption is an important means to both change the environment to be more facilitating for energy saving and empowers householders to be more effective in their striving towards this goal.