IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i9p5268-d550707.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Energy Transition at Home: A Survey on the Data and Practices That Lead to a Change in Household Energy Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Jacopo Gaspari

    (Department of Architecture, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

  • Ernesto Antonini

    (Department of Architecture, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

  • Lia Marchi

    (Department of Architecture, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

  • Vincenzo Vodola

    (Department of Architecture, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

Abstract

Since energy transition depends significantly on reducing the built environment’s energy needs, many regulations and incentives have been implemented globally over the last three decades. Despite some positive results, many scholars suggest that households’ behavioral change could greatly accelerate progress. People’s levels of awareness and willingness to change, as well as the provision of feedback technologies, are important factors affecting the process. In spite of the extent of this body of literature, household consumption keeps rising. Our thesis is that the subject has been investigated without considering some important correlations among factors. Therefore, this study developed a survey to investigate actual consumers’ perspectives on the topic by combining people’s awareness of energy use, interaction with metering devices, and user motivation into a coherent framework. A testing session involving 500 people was held as a validation phase for a future large-scale launch of the questionnaire. The test yielded some early outcomes on how people become more interested in changing as they gain more knowledge and are offered suggestions. However, despite their supposedly advanced knowledge as educators and students, the sample’s level of awareness was low, suggesting that a more user-centered approach is needed for wide-scale progress.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacopo Gaspari & Ernesto Antonini & Lia Marchi & Vincenzo Vodola, 2021. "Energy Transition at Home: A Survey on the Data and Practices That Lead to a Change in Household Energy Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-24, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5268-:d:550707
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/5268/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/5268/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Leila Niamir & Gregor Kiesewetter & Fabian Wagner & Wolfgang Schöpp & Tatiana Filatova & Alexey Voinov & Hans Bressers, 2020. "Assessing the macroeconomic impacts of individual behavioral changes on carbon emissions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 158(2), pages 141-160, January.
    2. Buchanan, Kathryn & Russo, Riccardo & Anderson, Ben, 2014. "Feeding back about eco-feedback: How do consumers use and respond to energy monitors?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 138-146.
    3. Joachain, Hélène & Klopfert, Frédéric, 2014. "Smarter than metering? Coupling smart meters and complementary currencies to reinforce the motivation of households for energy savings," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 89-96.
    4. Delzendeh, Elham & Wu, Song & Lee, Angela & Zhou, Ying, 2017. "The impact of occupants’ behaviours on building energy analysis: A research review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1061-1071.
    5. Hamed Taherdoost, 2019. "What Is the Best Response Scale for Survey and Questionnaire Design; Review of Different Lengths of Rating Scale / Attitude Scale / Likert Scale," Post-Print hal-03741841, HAL.
    6. Pelenur, Marcos J. & Cruickshank, Heather J., 2012. "Closing the Energy Efficiency Gap: A study linking demographics with barriers to adopting energy efficiency measures in the home," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 348-357.
    7. Hamed Taherdoost, 2019. "What Is the Best Response Scale for Survey and Questionnaire Design; Review of Different Lengths of Rating Scale / Attitude Scale / Likert Scale," Post-Print hal-02557308, HAL.
    8. Global Energy Assessment Writing Team,, 2012. "Global Energy Assessment," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107005198.
    9. Abrahamse, Wokje & Steg, Linda, 2009. "How do socio-demographic and psychological factors relate to households' direct and indirect energy use and savings?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 711-720, October.
    10. Steg, Linda, 2008. "Promoting household energy conservation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 4449-4453, December.
    11. Faruqui, Ahmad & Sergici, Sanem & Sharif, Ahmed, 2010. "The impact of informational feedback on energy consumption—A survey of the experimental evidence," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 1598-1608.
    12. Global Energy Assessment Writing Team,, 2012. "Global Energy Assessment," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521182935.
    13. Claudia F. Nisa & Jocelyn J. Bélanger & Birga M. Schumpe & Daiane G. Faller, 2019. "Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials testing behavioural interventions to promote household action on climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Carroll, James & Lyons, Seán & Denny, Eleanor, 2014. "Reducing household electricity demand through smart metering: The role of improved information about energy saving," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 234-243.
    15. Benjamin Völker & Andreas Reinhardt & Anthony Faustine & Lucas Pereira, 2021. "Watt’s up at Home? Smart Meter Data Analytics from a Consumer-Centric Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-21, January.
    16. Giuseppe Salvia & Eugenio Morello & Federica Rotondo & Andrea Sangalli & Francesco Causone & Silvia Erba & Lorenzo Pagliano, 2020. "Performance Gap and Occupant Behavior in Building Retrofit: Focus on Dynamics of Change and Continuity in the Practice of Indoor Heating," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-25, July.
    17. Moloney, Susie & Horne, Ralph E. & Fien, John, 2010. "Transitioning to low carbon communities--from behaviour change to systemic change: Lessons from Australia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7614-7623, December.
    18. Paul C. Stern, 2020. "A reexamination on how behavioral interventions can promote household action to limit climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-3, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Agnieszka Stec & Daniel Słyś, 2022. "Financial and Social Factors Influencing the Use of Unconventional Water Systems in Single-Family Houses in Eight European Countries," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-25, January.
    2. Malek Al-Chalabi & David Banister, 2022. "The Missing Link? Insights from an Innovative Feedback Exercise for Household Electricity and Travel Behaviour," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Sabina Kordana-Obuch & Mariusz Starzec & Daniel Słyś, 2021. "Assessment of the Feasibility of Implementing Shower Heat Exchangers in Residential Buildings Based on Users’ Energy Saving Preferences," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-30, September.
    4. Lia Marchi & Licia Felicioni & Francesca Sabatini & Lidia Errante, 2023. "Exploring Energy Literacy in Italian Social Housing: A Survey of Inhabitants Preparing the Ground for Climate Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, May.
    5. Xiaoying Xu & Xinxin Tian, 2023. "Dynamic Evolution and Trend Prediction in Coupling Coordination between Energy Consumption and Green Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-21, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fujimi, Toshio & Kajitani, Yoshio & Chang, Stephanie E., 2016. "Effective and persistent changes in household energy-saving behaviors: Evidence from post-tsunami Japan," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 93-106.
    2. Penelope Buckley, 2020. "Prices, information and nudges for residential electricity conservation : A meta-analysis," Post-Print hal-02500507, HAL.
    3. Knobloch, Florian & Pollitt, Hector & Chewpreecha, Unnada & Lewney, Richard & Huijbregts, Mark A.J. & Mercure, Jean-Francois, 2021. "FTT:Heat — A simulation model for technological change in the European residential heating sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    4. Buckley, Penelope, 2020. "Prices, information and nudges for residential electricity conservation: A meta-analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    5. Sloot, Daniel & Scheibehenne, Benjamin, 2022. "Understanding the financial incentive conundrum: A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of financial incentive interventions in promoting energy conservation behavior," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    6. Kendel, Adnane & Lazaric, Nathalie & Maréchal, Kevin, 2017. "What do people ‘learn by looking’ at direct feedback on their energy consumption? Results of a field study in Southern France," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 593-605.
    7. Anthony Biglan & Andrew C. Bonner & Magnus Johansson & Jessica L. Ghai & Mark J. Van Ryzin & Tiffany L. Dubuc & Holly A. Seniuk & Julia H. Fiebig & Lisa W. Coyne, 2020. "The State of Experimental Research on Community Interventions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions—A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-19, September.
    8. Laurie Buys & Desley Vine & Gerard Ledwich & John Bell & Kerrie Mengersen & Peter Morris & Jim Lewis, 2015. "A Framework for Understanding and Generating Integrated Solutions for Residential Peak Energy Demand," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-20, March.
    9. Düştegör, Dilek & Sultana, Nahid & Felemban, Noor & Al Qahtani, Deemah, 2018. "A smarter electricity grid for the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: Perceptions and policy implications," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 26-39.
    10. van Sluisveld, Mariësse A.E. & Martínez, Sara Herreras & Daioglou, Vassilis & van Vuuren, Detlef P., 2016. "Exploring the implications of lifestyle change in 2°C mitigation scenarios using the IMAGE integrated assessment model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 309-319.
    11. Ahir, Rajesh K. & Chakraborty, Basab, 2021. "A meta-analytic approach for determining the success factors for energy conservation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    12. Toshi H. Arimura & Yukihiko Funaki & Hajime Katayama & Atsushi Morimoto & Hiroko Okajima & Shigeharu Okajima, 2023. "Monetary and moral incentives of behavioral interventions: Field experimental evidence from hotel guest energy efficiency programs," RIEEM Discussion Paper Series 2302, Research Institute for Environmental Economics and Management, Waseda University.
    13. Véronique Vasseur & Anne-Francoise Marique & Vladimir Udalov, 2019. "A Conceptual Framework to Understand Households’ Energy Consumption," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-22, November.
    14. Silvia Erba & Lorenzo Pagliano, 2021. "Combining Sufficiency, Efficiency and Flexibility to Achieve Positive Energy Districts Targets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-32, August.
    15. Nick Eyre, 2013. "Decentralization of governance in the low-carbon transition," Chapters, in: Roger Fouquet (ed.), Handbook on Energy and Climate Change, chapter 27, pages 581-597, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    16. Roelich, Katy & Knoeri, Christof & Steinberger, Julia K. & Varga, Liz & Blythe, Phil T. & Butler, David & Gupta, Rajat & Harrison, Gareth P. & Martin, Chris & Purnell, Phil, 2015. "Towards resource-efficient and service-oriented integrated infrastructure operation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 40-52.
    17. Robert Baumhof & Thomas Decker & Klaus Menrad, 2019. "A Comparative Analysis of House Owners in Need of Energy Efficiency Measures but with Different Intentions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-19, June.
    18. Nilsson, Anders & Lazarevic, David & Brandt, Nils & Kordas, Olga, 2018. "Household responsiveness to residential demand response strategies: Results and policy implications from a Swedish field study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 273-286.
    19. Valor, Carmen & Escudero, Carmen & Labajo, Victoria & Cossent, Rafael, 2019. "Effective design of domestic energy efficiency displays: A proposed architecture based on empirical evidence," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1-1.
    20. Gordon Rausser & Wadim Strielkowski & Dalia Å treimikienÄ—, 2018. "Smart meters and household electricity consumption: A case study in Ireland," Energy & Environment, , vol. 29(1), pages 131-146, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5268-:d:550707. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.