Energy Cultures: Why people don’t do what they ‘should’...

Paper presented at Technical Symposium: IEA Energy In Buildings And Communities, November 21, 2018, Wellington, New Zealand

Transcript

1. Energy Cultures Why people don’t do what they ‘should’... Ben Anderson – Universities of Otago & Southampton Janet Stephenson – University of Otago
2. Did we forget about the people? Andrewglaser at English Wikipedia No kidding :-)
3. Energy use =ƒ(materials + attitudes + demographics + price + norms + practices) + ‘error’ Or it it just hard? Why people don’t do what they ‘should’ - Jim Skea, 2011 Regulation/ Market Education Information Exhortation ? Regulation/ Standards/ Market Levers ? Explains < 44% of variation https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.09.028 (UK, gas dominates heat) ? Well-known inelasticity
4. What do we need to do? Energy Cultures - doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.05.069
5. As applied to: home heating doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.05.069 Wooliscroft, B. (2014) National Household Survey of Energy and Transportation. Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago
6. As applied to: under-heating doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.05.069 Mirosa, M., Gnoth, D., Lawson, R., Stephenson, J. (June 2011) Rationalising energy- related behavior in the home: Insights from a value-laddering approach. European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Summer Study, France, pp.2109-2119 Single bar heater Single glazing Poor insulation Low income A ‘luxury’ to heat the kitchen Low expectations of warmth Maintaining traditions from upbringing Uses heater sparingly Puts on more clothes when cold Doesn’t heat bedroom Draws curtains & closes doors Internally consistent and habituated energy culture
7. As applied to: Levers doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.05.069 But change comes from within too
8. As applied to: Transport dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.03.005 Source: Uber, 2018
9. Energy Cultures: Summary We know this (don’t we?) We have the tools But do we have the data?
10. Where next: Peak Demand New materials & business models Social evolution
11. Where next: Sustainability Cultures https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.034 Unsustainable Now Sustainable Tomorrow New business models Social evolution
12. Thank you § @dataknut § b.anderson@soton.ac.uk § Janet.stephenson@otago.ac.nz § https://www.otago.ac.nz/centre-sustainability/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr4JBNOyInI