Beyond Technology Adoption: Homeowner Satisfaction with Newly Adopted Residential Heating Systems

In this paper we study homeowner satisfaction with respect to innovative residential heating systems. In particular, we focus on the role of attributes of the home, homeowners’ socio-demographic characteristics, RHS-related knowledge, and adoption motivations. For this purpose, we apply a linear regression model on a dataset obtained from a survey among homeowners in Germany (N=2,135) that had adopted a RHS shortly before the survey was conducted. Moreover, we investigate differences between groups of homeowners by means of t-tests and ANOVA. Our research shows that the motivations for adopting an RHS are relevant factors explaining satisfaction with newly adopted RHS. Moreover, we find the degree of RHS-related knowledge relevant as well. Socio-demographic aspects – such as age, university degree, gender or income – are found to be less important. In particular, the preference to have an RHS that is compatible with daily habits and routines has a strong impact on satisfaction. We also find differences between groups of adopters. Specifically, adopters of a gas-fired condensing boiler or a heat pump are less satisfied than adopters of a wood pellet-fired boiler. The findings of this study may also contribute to a better understanding of factors influencing the word to mouth communication resulting in the uptake and diffusion of certain RHS over time.