Residential Energy-Efficient Technology Adoption, Energy Conservation, Knowledge, and Attitudes: An Analysis of European Countries

Relationships between a number of measures of household energy use behavior are estimated using a unique dataset of approximately 5,000 households in ten EU countries and Norway. Knowledge of energy consumption and energy-efficient technology options is found to be associated with household use of energy conservation practices, but not with adoption of energy-efficient technologies. Household characteristics also influence household energy use behavior. Younger household cohorts are more likely to adopt energy-efficient technologies and energy conservation practices and place primary importance on energy savings for environmental reasons, while households with a high share of elderly members place more importance on financial savings. Education also influences attitudes towards energy conservation. Low education households indicate they primarily save electricity for financial reasons, while high education households indicated they are motivated by environmental concerns. Significant country differences also exist. Households in transitioning Eastern European countries generally have lower levels of energy-efficient technology adoption, but strong propensities to employ energy-conservation practices, and place less importance on saving electricity for environmental reasons compared to households in Western European countries. EU policies to promote residential adoption of energy-efficient technologies and energy conservation practices must be sensitive to both cross-country and intra-county variations in household energy use behavior.