A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation

A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation

2005 | Wokje Abrahamse*, Linda Steg, Charles Vlek, Talib Rothengatter
This article reviews and evaluates the effectiveness of interventions aimed at encouraging households to reduce energy consumption. Thirty-eight studies from applied social and environmental psychology are analyzed, categorized into antecedent strategies (commitment, goal setting, information, modeling) and consequence strategies (feedback, rewards). The evaluation criteria include behavioral changes, underlying determinants, intervention attribution, and long-term effects. Most studies focus on voluntary behavior change through knowledge and perceptions rather than contextual factors. Information increases knowledge but not necessarily behavior or savings. Rewards effectively encourage conservation but with short-lived effects. Feedback is effective, especially frequent feedback. Methodological issues and lack of attention to environmental impact are noted. Recommendations include improving intervention planning and effectiveness. Keywords: Review; Interventions; Household energy conservation. The review highlights that antecedent interventions like commitment and goal setting can be effective, while information and modeling have mixed results. Consequence interventions like feedback and rewards show effectiveness, but effects are often short-lived. Comparative feedback and EcoTeams (group-based interventions) show long-term success. Rewards have positive effects but are short-lived. Overall, combining interventions and targeting underlying determinants is recommended for effective energy conservation.This article reviews and evaluates the effectiveness of interventions aimed at encouraging households to reduce energy consumption. Thirty-eight studies from applied social and environmental psychology are analyzed, categorized into antecedent strategies (commitment, goal setting, information, modeling) and consequence strategies (feedback, rewards). The evaluation criteria include behavioral changes, underlying determinants, intervention attribution, and long-term effects. Most studies focus on voluntary behavior change through knowledge and perceptions rather than contextual factors. Information increases knowledge but not necessarily behavior or savings. Rewards effectively encourage conservation but with short-lived effects. Feedback is effective, especially frequent feedback. Methodological issues and lack of attention to environmental impact are noted. Recommendations include improving intervention planning and effectiveness. Keywords: Review; Interventions; Household energy conservation. The review highlights that antecedent interventions like commitment and goal setting can be effective, while information and modeling have mixed results. Consequence interventions like feedback and rewards show effectiveness, but effects are often short-lived. Comparative feedback and EcoTeams (group-based interventions) show long-term success. Rewards have positive effects but are short-lived. Overall, combining interventions and targeting underlying determinants is recommended for effective energy conservation.
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