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Behavioral Insights: Maximizing energy saving opportunities
- 1. Behavioral Insights: Maximizing energy saving opportunities Michelle Vigen Research Analyst ACEEE Behavior & Human Dimensions
- 2. Research to advance understanding of the human dimensions of energy efficiency http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/
- 3. Research to advance understanding of the human dimensions of energy efficiency 1. Opportunity and challenge of energy efficient behavior 2. Research insights 3. Examples of incorporating behavior change with Wx http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/
- 4. Changing behavior can save 10% of energy. Foster & Mazur-Stommen 2012, Photo: http://www.bitrebels.com
- 5. Behavior change is the cornerstone of sustainability… and it’s hard.
- 6. Education ≠ Change • EE Workshop • Evaluation Geller, E.S. (1981), photo: Earthtimes.org
- 7. Education ≠ Change • EE Workshop • Evaluation • 1 of 40 Lowered HWH Geller, E.S. (1981), photo: Earthtimes.org
- 8. Education ≠ Change • EE Workshop • Evaluation • 1 of 40 Lowered HWH • 2 Wrapped Tank Geller, E.S. (1981), photo: Earthtimes.org
- 9. Education ≠ Change • EE Workshop • Evaluation • 1 of 40 Lowered HWH • 2 Wrapped Tank • 8 Installed Showerheads Geller, E.S. (1981), photo: Earthtimes.org
- 10. We rely heavily on habits, social norms, our culture and environment, what our personal history and position tell us, and other emotional or symbolic cues. That’s what stands Wikipedia.org
- 11. Behavioral Insight #1: We’re social creatures herd.typepad.com
- 12. Behavioral Insight #2: Options Matter Mike Mergen (NYT), herd.typepad.com, firednfabulous.blogspot.com, www.1techportal.com/
- 13. Behavioral Insight #3: We’re forgetful Ecoki.com
- 14. Behavioral Insight #4: We like to have fun and play games! Mike Mergen (NYT),
- 15. Behavioral Insight #5: Culture and context matter Sodahead.com
- 16. Behavior change insights can overcome the multifamily split-incentive Ephemerealnewyork.wordpress.com
- 17. Saving Green Foundation Communities, Austin, TX L-I spend 14% of monthly income Workshop on healthy eating
- 18. Saving Green Foundation Communities, Austin, TX Framing/Branding Tabling/workshops with Incentives Walk-throughs Competition Thermostat “talk” during walk-through Dashservice.com
- 19. Tenant Conservation Program Supportive Housing Network – New York Using behavioral insights to overcome the split incentive Energy workshop for developers
- 20. Tenant Conservation Program Supportive Housing Network – New York ID Infrastructure Barriers Messenger Customized Program In-building workshops Young and old
- 21. Key take-away: A behavior change component can maximize the savings that residents gain from weatherization services. Mymove.com, tecoenergy.com
- 22. Resources to learn more Books Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community- Based Social Marketing by Dr. McKenzie-Mohr Weapons of Influence by Robert Cialdini Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Thaler and Sunstein Website Fostering Sustainable Behavior - Community-Based Social Marketing: http://www.cbsm.com
- 23. ACEEE Resources Our website – Links to free research reports American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Behavior & Human Dimensions http://aceee.org/topics/behavior Our email list Go to our website, www.aceee.org, and sign up for email updates. You can specify your interest in Behavior & Human Dimensions to get the latest updates on events and new research. Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference (BECC) November 11-14 in Sacramento, CA http://www.beccconference.org
- 24. Contact: Michelle Vigen mvigen@aceee.org 202-507-4012 For questions, follow-up, and resources
Editor's Notes
- Hi, my name is Michelle Vigen and I’m a Research Analyst with the Behavior and Human Dimensions program at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, also known as ACEEE. I’m very happy to be here today ACEEE is a non-profit group that convenes stakeholders, conducts research, and advocates for policy to advance an energy efficient economy.
- The Behavior Program at ACEEE is focused on research that advances understanding of the human dimension's of energy efficiency. Specifically, we seek to apply social science insights to topics ranging across all of the sectors ACEEE has traditionally engaged with, including buildings, transportation, industry, and policy.
- In this presentation, I’ll briefly describeImportance and challenge of energy efficient behaviorWhat research has uncovered to overcome those challengesExamples of how multi-family groups are combining weatherization and behavior change to maximize savingsMy hope is that this presentation will raise new questions and ideas for you, your programs, and your staff about the role of behavioral insights and approaches in your energy work.
- Let me first offer this:If we can change behavior, we can save up to 10% of energy use.These savings are low cost, require no installation, no capital cost, and only enhance savings from upgrades and retrofits.And greater energy savings are possible. This number comes from a study done by ACEEE on utility programs that used feedback and other energy monitor devices to target energy-saving behaviors, like turning off the lights, turning down the hot water heater, using cold water to wash, and unplugging devices when not in use. And as we know, 10% is no small number to those eligible for low-income energy services who pay a disproportionate amount for energy than the rest of the population.In other words, incorporating behavioral insights (whether by yourself or through a partner organization) into your weatherization programs can enhance the savings that WAP recipients experience.
- Now, 10% shouldn’t be so surprising. Behavioris the cornerstone of sustainability.No matter how efficient the light bulb, you still need someone to go to the hardware store, choose the efficient bulb, install it, and turn it on and off. Programmable thermostats can save a lot of energy, but only if they are programmed and used correctly. Users who continually hit hold or change the temperature manually will not reap anticipated savings.In other words, with every energy efficiency opportunity, there is a human dimension. With every technology comes the need for a choice, a purchase, maintenance, and operation. Behavior is a central part of energy efficiency.The traditional strategy for changing behavior is information, like economic information, or changing attitudes. But research shows again and again that information like this doesn’t work.
- Scott Geller, psychology professor from VA TechEE workshopAd in newspaper for 3-hour long EE workshopGoal: raise knowledge and test whether it changes behavHeld workshop (upper bound, timing, primed audience)Covered what EE is, why important, how to do it at homeTested for knowledge and awareness; increased significantlyIf knowledge affects our behavior, should see changeResults:
- What Scott’s work tells us is that behavior change requires more than our traditional educational models; that there’s something more going on.
- This is where our research comes in. The social sciences is helping unlock these behavior savings.There’s a lot more to human behavior than our knowledge, attitudes, and economic interest. Most of the time, we’re not calculating our economic outcomes of driving a bit over the speed limit, throwing away our food waste, leaving our computer running at night, or machine drying our clothes. There are a lot more factors that weigh heavily in those behaviors.Our human brain is always taking in information, so much that we can’t be conscious of it all, and therefore we rely heavily on habits, social norms, our culture and environment, what our personal history and position tell us, and other emotional or symbolic cues.Our reliance on these influences isn’t bad.It allows us to be efficient and intelligent at the same time. But it can make changing behavior more difficult.
- The good news is that a lot of research and work has been done to understand what does change behavior. Here’s a few behavioral insights:Insight #1: We’re social creatures – affected by what our friends say, we take cues from even the strangers around us, and how our environment is set up affects the way we act. Take for example the “looking up” experiment. This experiment has shown that even two individuals who stop in a highly foot trafficked area and look up (even at nothing) will entice 40% of other passersby to stop with them and convince over 80% to at least look up as they walk past. We’re influenced by social norms, watching what strangers do around us; and by trusted peers (think of the last book or restaurant you tried – often times we try new things based on what a friend or colleague recommends us)
- Insight #2: How we receive our options matters; for example with organ donations, when asked to opt-in, significantly few people participate than if they were defaulted to participate and given the opportunity to opt-out. A similar example has shown that putting healthier food first and within reach of students in a cafeteria increases their likelihood of filling their plate with healthier food, than if the fruit and veggies are on the second shelf or towards the end of the line.How we offer choices inherently encourages one thing or another. By being cognizant of how we offer choices, we can move people to make a better choice.
- Insight #3: We’re forgetful and need reminders. How many of you have reusable bags? How many of you have ever forgotten them? How many of you think you should check and inflate your tires regularly? How many of you remember to do it?Sometimes all we need is a reminder – a door hanger on our front door, a note by the light switch in the breakroom.
- Insight #4: We like to have fun and play games. We do a lot of things just for fun – like, perhaps Fantasy Football. We like to compete for the sake of competing. For example, there is no real prize in playing adult kickball, in fact, you have to pay for it. But especially in the last 6-7 years, thousands of adults have joined leagues to play a child’s game. When we play games and compete around energy, people change their actions, though it might not be to save kWh, it might be to win a prize or just to play a fun game.
- Insight #5:Cultural context and environment matter a lot– Perceptions of what is right and wrong, what kind of person we are, and what we value all play a major role in the acceptance of a new behavior. For example, if you see someone winking, like this young boy, we rely on context to understand what’s going on. Is there a lot of dust in the air and he got something in his eye? Is he squinting from the sun? Or is he trying to be cute…to his mom…or a crush?Working within a context means speaking the same language, knowing the values, identity, and priorities allows new behaviors to be introduced via a path of least resistance, or in a way that resonates with the context of your audience.This list of behavioral insights is not meant to be exhaustive, but more to provide examples of ways research has found can impact behavior.
- What I’d like to share with you next are two examples of how behavior programs are working alongside weatherization in multi-family. As you know, these households have distinct challenges: Lack of time or knowledge to access energy efficiency services as they have fewer resources (often in time and capital) to access services, and often they are ineligible for utility rebates, relying on their landlords to make improvements that save them money. This split incentive, as you know, colors to some degree efforts to achieve robust energy efficiency improvements. But behavior change is one way to save that doesn’t require rebates or services and where tenants can save whether for themselves or a housing provider.
- Foundation Communities’ Saving Green Program in Austin is a complementary program to weatherization work that seeks to engage its tenants in energy and money saving actions. Low-income households can use up to 14% of their monthly income on energy, compared to 7%. Changes in usage, meaning behavior changes in home energy use and transportation decisions, can cut those costs by a third. Recognized that information about energy isn’t going to be sufficient for change, and used behavioral insights to develop a program.
- First, they have used unique branding and framing of energy efficiency. They understood that while saving energy wasn’t a notable priority, saving money was to residents and so theyframed energy in relevant way, hence the name, “Saving Green” and the program targeted energy saving behaviors in the context of other money saving behaviors. The program therefore including energy and water conservation, transportation decisions, and health food choices. Second, they took note that accessing these different services through their unique venues could be difficult and time consuming, so Foundation Communities developed a partnership to bring representatives in from relevant services to the buildings. These representatives would be present during tabling events and hosted workshops that provided practical information and useful incentives to drive greater participation. One of the more powerful incentives was that if residents completed all three workshops: Energy, Transportation and Food Choices, they received a gift bag of relevant products, including a voucher for some healthy foods, which was a highlight for residents.Third, they wanted to put the savings into residents’ contexts, and they did this through walk-throughswhere they installed light bulbs, but also talked through the programmable thermostat and measured plug loads to show how much residents could save by unplugging equipment.Lastly, they held competitions between residents where they could win a one-month rent deduction of up to $100 which incentivized a group of residents to go above and beyond the basic energy use adjustments and earn recognition for their effort to conserve more.
- Supportive Housing Network of New York provides resources, support, and benefits to over 200 member supportive housing developers who serve low-income, senior, youth, and transitional populations. As most of their member orgs, though not all, pay the energy bills, the Network is interested in ways to engage tenants in energy saving behavior and save their member housing providers money. The Network first helped coordinate weatherization and participation in WAP and worked to provide grants for members to make upgrades to their buildings. But they quickly recognized that tenants needed to change their habits to get the next level of savings. The problem was that the tenants often weren’t responsible for their energy bills and couldn’t even determine how much they were using since many buildings are master-metered. They looked to using behavior change strategies to overcome the split incentive.
- Here are some of the strategies they used:First, they brought in a behavior change consultant, Green Strides, who did a behavior change barrier analysis for some specific behaviors that would help tenants use less energy. They found specific barriers to design their programs around, including one instance where residents couldn’t turn their A/C units off in the fall because many of the levers to turn it off were broken.Second, they worked through a trusted network. The Network learned that their supportive housing members had a unique advantage of having a staff person for the different buildings. This person was both a manager and a services provider, and many were open to being trained to deliver an energy program. By having this staff lead the program, residents could work with someone they already knew. Third, they built each program to fit the specific context of each building. The Network has a great diversity of buildings, with very diverse audiences, so they didn’t build a single curriculum but rather worked with these service providers to customize the program for their audience, be it seniors, youth, transitional, and ethnic. Program developers also toured the different buildings to learn about the mechanical differences of each building and incorporated that information in the tailored curriculum. Fourth, they too are using the in-house workshops, convening neighbors and building a social norm. They also anticipatedthat the customized curriculum would have more relevance in the place it was trying to affect behavior change. Attendees could also learn about energy then with their community members creating an opportunity to discuss and build dialogue around energy saving actions. Moving forward, the Network is looking at trying to incorporate other best practices and improve their program.
- To wrap up:Behavior change is an integral part of achieving energy savings. Our habits, infrastructure, culture, values, and community influence how we understand and use energy. And it can mean a difference of 10% energy savings.Research and pilots have helped uncover ways to overcome the difficulty of changing behavior, and these tools are becoming increasingly accessible to energy efficiency practitioners.Incorporating a behavior change component or partnering with someone who can help you do this can maximize the savings that residents gain from weatherization services.
- I hope this presentation has served as a useful overview to the energy saving opportunities that lie in changing behavior and offer some ideas of what research in this area offers and how programs are incorporating behavior change in their programs.This slide has some helpful resources for further exploration.
- Additional resources are at our website, including links to free moreindepth reports on behavior strategies and uses.At our website, you can also sign up to receive email updates. Be sure to specify your interest in Behavior.Lastly, I invite you to attend the Behavior Energy and Climate Change conference, the premier gathering of practitioners and research working in sustainable behavior. It will be held this November in Sacramento, CA.
- Contact me or follow-up with me afterward if you’re interested in receiving a copy of this resource list