Major energy savings with altered behaviour

“If all countries had the right policies and incentives in place together with existing technologies, the world would save as much energy as China currently uses.”

The above statement is from Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), and underlines the fact that technological solutions are only part of the solution for managing the energy transition. At least as important – but far less popular to talk about – is people’s behaviour.

Reduced energy use the fastest way to free up energy 

“There’s such a focus on technology, fuels, electric vehicles and electrification. However, if we look at where we can get quick results, reducing energy use is the fastest way to free up energy where it’s needed. But technology is only part of the solution. Behavioural changes are at least as important,” says Monica Axell at RISE. 

Monica is as a business developer within energy and resources at RISE, and works with different types of energy efficiency improvement projects for municipalities, regions, property owners and larger enterprises. This work is often a matter of analysing the behaviour of certain types of users and devising scenarios – that is, developing and testing solutions that users accept, want and can implement. 

Monica Axell says that time and again the working group finds examples of how behavioural changes can dramatically reduce consumption. 

“Within certain groups, there can be a 50 percent difference in consumption, all other things being equal. We’ve taken measurements in identical terraced houses with similar household makeups. We’ve been able to demonstrate extremely large differences in water and electricity consumption that cannot be explained by anything other than the behavioural patterns of the residents.” 

Last winter’s electricity crisis showed the great potential of behavioural changes 

Monica recalls last winter’s electricity prices, when reductions in consumption of 20–40 percent could be seen among households as well as in trade and industry. The crisis showed how quickly changes can be achieved when people have a vested interest in changing their behaviour. 

“We found ourselves in a situation where it became pretty trendy lunchroom banter to discuss what temperature you could maintain at home. No one wants to have to adapt to these kinds of extreme conditions, but it shows what people are capable of when the incentives are right.” 

Subsidies fuel interest. Such as when Swedish state subsidies for solar collectors, which provide hot water directly from roof-mounted panels, were switched to solar cells. Today, while there are hardly any companies working with solar collectors, the market for solar cells has grown dramatically. 

“Often, in the end, the actual financial gain isn’t even that great. Instead, this kind of subsidy sends signals that make people feel like they’re doing their part.”  

The same feeling can be created among housing cooperatives by allowing them to compare their consumption, or in energy-guzzling industries by rolling out incentives for improvements among users to only turn on energy-guzzling machines when needed, to turn off the lights when leaving a room, or to reward suggestions that result in improvements. 

“The biggest changes can be achieved among the actual users.” 

The greatest consumption, in terms of kilowatt hours, is found in industry. However, great potential is also found among consumers. 

“They can exercise power in two ways: by choosing companies they believe stand for the right values and by changing their own behaviour. Moreover, although each individual consumer doesn’t have a great deal of impact, when large numbers all do the same thing, the results are tangible. As Dr Fatih Birol says, there are calculations showing that we have the potential to cut energy consumption by an amount equivalent to China’s total consumption – if we can change consumer behaviours and government policies on a global level.” 

Focus groups used to find acceptable solutions 

One key to achieving lasting change is understanding how a group of people behave and what can get them to change. RISE supports property owners and municipalities, entire towns or larger employers with user studies wherein various experts in human behaviour – behavioural scientists, environmental psychologists, sociologists – can involve users in focus groups and implement solutions that work. 

“Basically, it’s a matter of understanding how people work and what gets us to change our behaviour permanently,” Monica ends.