Reducing household energy consumption is essential for meeting long-term climate and energy goals. This paper explores two key household-level actions for energy-conservation— investment in energy efficiency (EE) and engagement in energy-saving behaviours—and examines potential interconnections between them. Using original survey data from 500 Spanish households on washing machine purchases, we analyse the determinants of both the adoption of highly energy-efficient washing machines and the implementation of daily energy-saving practices. The results show that attitudes towards EE and the environment, risk and time preferences, prior experiences and habits, socio-economic characteristics, and EE policy measures are associated with both actions. However, the specific determinants often differ across the two energy-conservation dimensions or exert distinct effects. Moreover, we find no evidence of a significant causal effect of the purchase of energy-efficient appliances on the adoption of energy-saving behaviour, or vice versa. This suggests that focusing exclusively on a single conservation strategy may be insufficient to effectively reduce household energy consumption. Instead, a dual-pathway approach is required. Policies should therefore promote both the uptake of energy-efficient technologies and the adoption of curtailment behaviours. Our results suggest that a combination of informational, economic, and financial policy tools can contribute to more comprehensive household energy conservation.
Tag: Energy efficiency
Are energy performance certificates a strong predictor of actual energy use? Evidence from high-frequency thermostat panel data
This paper examines the extent with which Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) reflect observed energy used for heating. We use high-frequency smart thermostat panel data in combination with building characteristics and hourly weather information. We exploit variations in boiler operation in the neighborhood of a steady state indoor temperature to elicit the predictive power of an…
Running Randomized Field Experiments for Energy Efficiency Programs: A Practitioner’s Guide
Researchers and professional evaluators are increasingly turning to randomized field experiments to evaluate energy efficiency programs and policies. This article provides a brief overview of several experimental methods and discusses their application to energy efficiency programs. We highlight experimental designs, such as randomized encouragement and recruit-and-deny, that are particularly well suited for situations where participation…
Aiming at a Low Carbon Society in Japan by 2050: Impact of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident and CO2 Reduction Target
Since the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, Japan has been struggling with its energy and environmental policy, without a clear picture of the future for nuclear power. The Government of Japan released its latest Strategic Energy Plan in April 2014, and announced its CO2 emissions target (24% reduction by 2030 compared to 2005 levels) and…
An ex-ante evaluation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive – Article 7
The European Union’s Energy Efficiency Directive calls for EU Member States to put in place ambitious energy efficiency policies and requires them to establish energy saving targets. One of the most important Articles of the Directive is Article 7, which required Member States to implement Energy Efficiency Obligations and/or alternative policy instruments in order to…
Drivers of Energy R&D in Manufacturing Industries
Energy R&D can have major social and economic impacts and is a critical factor in addressing the challenges presented by climate change mitigation policies. As well as the energy utilities themselves, firms in other sectors also invest in energy R&D; however, while various studies have examined the determinants of R&D in the former, there are…
Empower the Consumer! Energy-related Financial Literacy and its Implications for Economic Decision Making
Untapped energy savings potential in the residential sector might lead to substantial welfare losses. While several studies have focused on the role of behavioral biases in explaining the lack of adoption of energy-efficient durable goods, little is known about the role of limited energy-specific knowledge and financial literacy. In this paper, we propose an integrated…
Settling the metric selection debate for assessing the energy efficiency of energy-intensive industries
This study evaluates energy efficiency in India’s energy-intensive industries using Total-Factor Energy Efficiency (TFEE), contrasting it with the traditional Single-Factor Energy Efficiency (SFEE) approach. Analyzing panel data from 2003–04 to 2021–22 from the Prowess database, we applied Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), including the input-oriented Slack-based method with variable returns to scale, to assess attainable energy…
Determinants of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in European SMEs
This paper empirically investigates the factors driving the adoption of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) measures in a sample of 8,213 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in European countries. Our results suggest that sustainable energies actions (EE and RE) are highly persistent both at the firm level and across countries and that there…
Do Sustainable Operations through Energy Effectiveness Reduce Cost of Debt in Medium and High-tech Industries? Evidence from an Emerging Economy
Access to low-cost finance is a significant factor influencing firms’ investment decisions in research and development, which is crucial for corporate success. The goal becomes critical when the firm’s sustainability policy channels energy consumption, resulting in optimal capital allocation for new, resource-efficient technologies. Despite its significant relevance in policymaking, there has been little academic study…