Household energy use: a study investigating viewpoints towards energy efficiency technologies and behaviour

Improving the energy efficiency of our homes presents an excellent opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase thermal comfort. However, a shortfall exists between the full potential and realised adoption of energy efficiency measures, a phenomenon termed the ‘Energy Efficiency Gap’. To better understand the Energy Efficiency Gap, this research identified household viewpoints towards energy, and stated preferences towards energy efficiency technologies and behaviour. The research was carried out through interviews and a Q Study in the cities of Manchester and Cardiff, alongside a questionnaire. The results revealed a range of nuanced viewpoints, which mapped onto three principal household themes: energy use in terms of the environment; energy in relation to money; and apathy towards energy. A key finding was the small number strong correlations between distinct energy viewpoints and specific energy efficiency technologies or behaviours. This result implies that being environmentally aware and actively concerned about energy efficiency does not in itself lead to a stated desire, or even, intention to install energy efficient technologies. The wider implication is that households that hold proactive energy efficiency viewpoints based on environmental concern may still require specifically targeted incentives to encourage the uptake of energy efficiency measures, i.e. their proactive and environmental beliefs are not alone enough to motivate them to improve the energy efficiency of their home.EPSR

Retrofitting the domestic built environment: investigating household perspectives towards energy efficiency technologies and behaviour

Retrofitting the UK domestic built environment presents an excellent opportunity to improve its energy performance. However, retrofitting homes is a complex challenge conflated by multiple factors. Due to this complexity, a shortfall exists between the full potential and realised adoption of energy efficiency measures in the UK, a phenomenon termed the ‘Energy Efficiency Gap’. While a number of technical or economic factors may help explain this gap, difficult to quantify factors, such as social motivations, barriers, and viewpoints towards energy are also significant and often under-emphasised in public policy. As such, in order to improve the understanding of the Energy Efficiency Gap and the uptake of future retrofit initiatives, this research adopted a socio-technical approach that considered social and technical retrofit factors together. Specifically, this research collected data from interviews, questionnaires, and a Q Study in the cities of Manchester and Cardiff, alongside a questionnaire that measured energy efficiency technology and behaviour preferences. An original contribution to knowledge was using the data to empirically identify motivations and barriers to adopting energy efficient technologies, as well as identifying household viewpoints towards energy use and linking them to retrofit technology and energy efficiency behaviour preferences. As a result of this research, specific policy recommendations are presented to help promote energy efficiency retrofits in the UK. This research was carried out as part of the Engineering & Physical Science Research Council and Sustainable Urban Environment research programme, “Re-Engineering the City 2020-2050 Urban Foresight and Transition Management (RETROFIT 2050)”.This research was carried out as part of the Engineering & Physical Science Research Council and Sustainable Urban Environment research programme, “Re-Engineering the City 2020-2050 Urban Foresight and Transition Management (RETROFIT 2050)”

Household energy use: a study investigating viewpoints towards energy efficiency technologies and behaviour

Improving the energy efficiency of our homes presents an excellent opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase thermal comfort. However, a shortfall exists between the full potential and realised adoption of energy efficiency measures, a phenomenon termed the ‘Energy Efficiency Gap’. To better understand the Energy Efficiency Gap, this research identified household viewpoints towards energy, and stated preferences towards energy efficiency technologies and behaviour. The research was carried out through interviews and a Q Study in the cities of Manchester and Cardiff, alongside a questionnaire. The results revealed a range of nuanced viewpoints, which mapped onto three principal household themes: energy use in terms of the environment; energy in relation to money; and apathy towards energy. A key finding was the small number strong correlations between distinct energy viewpoints and specific energy efficiency technologies or behaviours. This result implies that being environmentally aware and actively concerned about energy efficiency does not in itself lead to a stated desire, or even, intention to install energy efficient technologies. The wider implication is that households that hold proactive energy efficiency viewpoints based on environmental concern may still require specifically targeted incentives to encourage the uptake of energy efficiency measures, i.e. their proactive and environmental beliefs are not alone enough to motivate them to improve the energy efficiency of their home.EPSR