The influence of price and attitude on shifting residential electricity consumption from on- to off-peak periods

Heberlein, Thomas A.; Warriner, G. Keith

doi:10.1016/0167-4870(83)90048-x

Cited by 53 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…In some cases, determinants of energy use or energy savings were measured, and it appeared that attitude and knowledge are generally positively related to energy savings (e.g. Brandon & Lewis, 1999;Heberlein & Warriner, 1983). Studies using before and after measurements have found an increase in knowledge levels after mass media campaigns (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study by Heberlein and Warriner (1983) focused on the price difference between on-and off-peak periods (the latter having a cheaper rate). Households received monthly feedback (through their electricity bill) about the amount of kWh they had used in on-and off-peak periods.…”

Section: Weekly and Monthly Feedbackmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Combining feedback with goal setting resulted in reductions in energy consumption (McCalley & Midden, 2002), especially when combined with a difficult goal (Becker, 1978). Studies who examined the effect of giving feedback about the price difference between on-and offpeak hours found this to result in shifts in consumption to off-peak hours, but no difference in overall consumption was found or reported (Heberlein & Warriner, 1983;Sexton et al, 1987).…”

Section: Consequence Interventions: Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation

Abrahamse

Steg

Vlek

et al. 2005

Journal of Environmental Psychology

2,052

1,411

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This article reviews and evaluates the effectiveness of interventions aiming to encourage households to reduce energy consumption. Thirty-eight studies performed within the field of (applied) social and environmental psychology are reviewed, and categorized as involving either antecedent strategies (i.e. commitment, goal setting, information, modeling) or consequence strategies (i.e. feedback, rewards). Particular attention is given to the following evaluation criteria: ( 1) to what extent did the intervention result in behavioral changes and/or reductions in energy use, (2) were underlying behavioral determinants examined (e.g. knowledge, attitudes), ( 3) to what extent could effects be attributed to the interventions and, (4) were effects maintained over longer periods of time? Interestingly, most studies focus on voluntary behavior change, by changing individual knowledge and/or perceptions rather than changing contextual factors (i.e. pay-off structure) which may determine households' behavioral decisions. Interventions have been employed with varying degrees of success. Information tends to result in higher knowledge levels, but not necessarily in behavioral changes or energy savings. Rewards have effectively encouraged energy conservation, but with rather short-lived effects. Feedback has also proven its merits, in particular when given frequently. Some important issues cloud these conclusions, such as methodological problems. Also, little attention is given to actual environmental impact of energy savings. Often, an intervention's effectiveness is studied without examining underlying psychological determinants of energy use and energy savings. Also, it is not always clear whether effects were maintained over a longer period of time. Recommendations are given to further improve intervention planning and to enhance the effectiveness of interventions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Weekly and Monthly Feedbackmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Consequence Interventions: Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation

Abrahamse

Steg

Vlek

et al. 2005

Journal of Environmental Psychology

2,052

1,411

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Economic incentives enhanced internalized motivation, and the effect of economic incentives on behavior was mediated through personal norms. Heberlein and Warriner (1983) report that although steep price increases of electricity use in peak periods was effective in shifting electricity use to off‐peak periods, normative concerns accounted for more variance in behavior than did the strength of the price increase. In a literature review on the effectiveness of incentives, Stern (1999) also concludes that multiple motives affect behavior, and that the stronger the monetary incentives, the more difference nonincentive factors seem to make for program effectiveness.…”

Section: Goal Frames and Environmental Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Normative, Gain and Hedonic Goal Frames Guiding Environmental Behavior

Lindenberg

Steg

2007

Journal of Social Issues

1,024

970

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This article discusses new developments about goal-dependent framing and multiple goal frames (sometimes also called "multiple motives"), which are highly relevant for understanding environmental behavior. We introduce goal-framing theory, which postulates that goals "frame" the way people process information and act upon it. Three goal frames are distinguished: a hedonic, gain, and normative goal frame. In general, multiple goals are active at any given time, which may (or may not) be compatible; that is, the strength of the focal goal may be influenced by other goals that are in the background. Based on an extensive review of studies in environmental psychology, we suggest those conditions under which each goal frame may be dominant in influencing environmental behavior. In the environmental context, normative goal frames imply acting pro-environmentally, while gain and hedonic goal frames often result in not acting in an environmentally sound manner. Next, we argue that pro-environmental behavior may be promoted by strengthening normative goals or by making gain and hedonic goals less incompatible with normative goals. Finally, based on goal-framing theory, we suggest questions to be addressed in future research.

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“…Early work in this area did find evidence for a greater willingness on the part of individuals living within a supportive community to take up the practice of energy conservation during the oil embargo of the 1970s (Dietz & Vine, 1982; Heberlein & Warriner, 1983). Deliberate efforts to promote conservation in communities since that time, however, have met with mixed results.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Know Your Neighbors, Save the Planet

Macias

Williams

2014

Environment and Behavior

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We analyze data from the 2010 General Social Survey to illuminate the relationship of social capital with pro-environmental behavior, a willingness to make sacrifices for the environment, and participation in organized environmental activism. Three kinds of social capital are examined: relational social capital, generalized trust, and community social capital. Specifically, we find that time spent with neighbors was positively correlated with both environmental lifestyle and willingness to sacrifice variables, whereas time spent with relatives was negatively correlated. Generalized trust was positively correlated with willingness to sacrifice variables, as well. Social evening spent with friends was associated with a single outcome variable: having attended an environmental issue demonstration. These findings are consistent with previous research concerning the influence of community-level dynamics on behavior, and suggest that social capital may be an important, though as of yet not well explored, mechanism for understanding shifts toward pro-environmental behavior.

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The influence of price and attitude on shifting residential electricity consumption from on- to off-peak periods

Cited by 53 publications

References 32 publications

A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation

A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation

Normative, Gain and Hedonic Goal Frames Guiding Environmental Behavior

Know Your Neighbors, Save the Planet

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