"Changing habits of a lifetime": an investigation of the factors that influence behaviour change to reduce domestic energy consumption

Concerns about the impact of climate change are increasingly relevant and problematic to modern society. Since the establishment of the Climate Change Act in 2008, the UK is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by at least 80%, by the year 2050, from 1990 levels. Improving the way in which energy is used in the domestic sector has the potential to play a major role in the achievement of this overall target. This exploratory study uses in-depth interviews and focus groups to investigate the values, motivations and routes to engagement of UK homeowners in adopting pro-environmental behavioural changes. The findings suggest that the greatest barriers homeowners feel prevent them from adopting a lower carbon lifestyle are issues related to a lack of money, time and a perception that their actions are insignificant. Typically, concern for the environment and future generations are drivers of environmentally beneficial behaviour. However, people are generally unaware of any relevant initiatives or schemes to aid them in becoming more energy efficient. The results suggest that people are generally energy conscious, but not energy knowledgeable. Therefore, there is an opportunity for effective communication to bridge this gap in inspiring collective change in reducing energy consumption through behaviour modification. Keywords: Environment, Behaviour Change, Barriers, Motivation, Energy Use.