Americans eat an average of 3,600+ calories a day, according to The Food and Agriculture Organization. This is way above the organization’s recommended amount of 2,000 to 2,600 calories per day. In energy consumption, each person consumes 8,600 watts on average in the U.S. So just like the new diet you’ll start tomorrow, writer James Dinneen for New Scientist, put himself on a ‘2,000 watts a day diet.’ When you consider the multiple devices, appliances, lighting, heating and cooling units we depend on, 2,000 watts doesn’t sound like enough.
Is it too much to expect customers to take a greater role in energy conservation? In Singapore, they’re considering rationing to improve energy conservation. Electricity rationing has raised eyebrows, but it has also raised awareness on how important it is to save energy. Without rationing electricity, can utilities promote behavioral changes to persuade consumers to consume less?
Sustainable Energy and Authority of Ireland (SEAI) understands it will take commitment to change and influence consumer behavior. “Persuasion is no longer just an art; it’s an out-and-out science,” said Robert Cialdini, professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University, at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association. “Indeed, a vast body of scientific evidence now exists on how, when and why people say yes to influence attempts.”
So how can utilities influence consumers not to consume? There are six universal principles of persuasion. They are reciprocity, commitment, pack mentality, authority, liking and scarcity. SEAI recommends informing but not overwhelming customers. Inform them about the most widely adopted methods of energy conservation. However, information alone is unlikely to drive behavior change. It is vital that you appeal to their sense of social identity and lead by example.
“We have the technology. It’s been invented. It’s been demonstrated. We’ve had pilot projects,” Karen Lightman, executive director of the Metro21: Smart Cities Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Partnerships like Logical Buildings and Samsung are ushering energy management tools that could provide the solution through technology and human behavior. “Energy management is actually how to use that energy in a smart way and automate and prevent loss,” said Sce Pike, at ADT. So, what prevents a large-scale rollout of smart home energy management systems? People? “Where it gets complicated is in the people and in the procurement and the policies,” concluded Lightman.