Information strategies and energy conservation behavior: A meta-analysis of experimental studies from 1975 to 2012

Delmas, Magali A.; Fischlein, Miriam; Asensio, Omar Isaac

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.05.109

Cited by 522 publications

(363 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Recent studies estimate that behavioral changes can reduce residential energy consumption significantly [4,5]. Delmas et al reviewed 156 studies and found an average 7.4% reduction in energy consumption, with the largest reductions resulting from individualized feedback [6]. However, many of the studies in the literature suffer from methodological limitations including small sample sizes [7,8], short time periods [9], or low-granularity feedback (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-time, appliance-level electricity use feedback system: How to engage users?

Chen

Delmas

Kaiser

2014

Energy and Buildings

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a b s t r a c tEngage is a rapidly deployable, retrofit energy monitoring system developed for direct support of a novel energy use behavior investigation and a large-scale deployment in campus apartments. We describe the end-to-end system and report results related to web dashboard engagement during a year-long experiment. The objective was to determine user engagement with real-time and easily accessible information about personal energy consumption. Leveraging low-cost components, this system was designed to measure separately appliance plug load, heating and cooling, and lighting electrical load in dense-occupancy building environments. We developed and used an open source technology for measurement of plug load and developed signal processing algorithms to significantly improve measurement accuracy. We also developed proxy sensors to measure heating and cooling and lighting. Our results indicate that 90% of the dashboard activity was undertaken by 50% of the participants and that website engagement was more likely in mid-day and more effective in combination with email reminders. Energy conservation was achieved when combining the dashboard with public information about energy consumption.Published by Elsevier B.V.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-time, appliance-level electricity use feedback system: How to engage users?

Chen

Delmas

Kaiser

2014

Energy and Buildings

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“…if I didn't throw away this amount of food, I could have had x amount of free food). In sustainability research, information-based strategies were found to be effective at reducing overall energy usage in controlled experimental studies which indicates the potential of educational information technologies targeting conservation in households [15].…”

Section: Visibility On Meaningmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…We expect that the number of potential servings could be associated with monetary loss and hence another means for persuasion. Although studies on energy use have pointed out that financial incentives have short-lived effects and can be counterproductive [15], whether it also applies to food waste is unclear. Financial benefits from saving energy are often quite small compared to other household expenses like food [17].…”

Section: Design Probe and Rationalementioning

confidence: 99%

E-COmate: What’s Your Non-consumption?

Lim

Funk

Rauterberg

et al. 2015

Advances in Computational Intelligence

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Abstract. Most people lack awareness and hence understanding about how food-related behavior affects the environment. This commonly results in unsustainable food-related decision making, such as food waste. We propose E-COmate, an augmented bin that measures the weight of food waste through a USB postal scale, a bin and a Raspberry Pi with a Wi-Fi module, and give direct feedback to its users through a tablet by visualizing metaphorical units of the weighted food waste. We intend explore the use of E-COmate in redirecting behavior through transparency, visibility and social influence strategies like social comparison. In this paper, we present our concept, implementation, design rationale and plan of research which we expect to provide insights into the potential of eco-feedback integrated in smart home technology for food sustainability.

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“…The potential for increased energy efficiency resulting from such initiatives is sizeable but frequently not realised, with energy efficiency information programmes yielding anything between either little or no effect, to up to 30% savings (Delmas et al, 2013). A meta-analysis of 156 such initiatives involving more than half a million citizens found an average reduction in energy consumption of 7.4% (ibid).…”

Section: Individual-level Behaviour Change -A Pressing Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In energy efficiency, there is no established definition of communication-based interventions or programmes; they are generally initiatives based on the principle that more and better information will encourage consumers to conserve use (Delmas et al, 2013) and can involve awareness campaigns, education and training programmes, label schemes, smart metering and pricing information (Mikkonen and Gynther, 2010) or even corporate disclosure initiatives (Delmas et al, 2013). The potential for increased energy efficiency resulting from such initiatives is sizeable but frequently not realised, with energy efficiency information programmes yielding anything between either little or no effect, to up to 30% savings (Delmas et al, 2013).…”

Section: Individual-level Behaviour Change -A Pressing Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating communication to optimise consumer-directed energy efficiency interventions

Wilson

2014

Energy Policy

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Awareness campaigns, education and training programmes, label schemes and smart metering are all initiatives based on the principle that more and better information will encourage consumers to use less energy. Initiatives of this type can realise efficiency savings of up to 30%, and are likely to remain politically popular while preferred by the public to legislation or fines. While widespread, such programmes can have mixed performance, with savings often not reaching potential. This article investigates whether existing theoretical models can usefully be combined for evaluations of such message-oriented programmes. To do this it examines relationships between the variables of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) using empirical data from participants exposed to energy behaviour change projects. Analysis revealed that when used together, the theories may offer insight into the impact of messaging.While a single exploratory study can only describe what has occurred, it offers initial evidence to advocate further analysis of the potential of the combined framework. The author offers an illustration of how the framework might be utilised by other schemes by example of its application to a major EU project to save energy in Europe's public buildings.

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Information strategies and energy conservation behavior: A meta-analysis of experimental studies from 1975 to 2012

Cited by 522 publications

References 73 publications

Real-time, appliance-level electricity use feedback system: How to engage users?

Real-time, appliance-level electricity use feedback system: How to engage users?

E-COmate: What’s Your Non-consumption?

Evaluating communication to optimise consumer-directed energy efficiency interventions

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