A recent study conducted at UCLA showed that reducing pollution may be a more powerful motivator for people to reduce their energy usage than monetary gains. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/01/07/1401880112.abstract
Traditionally, businesses make financial arguments when they sell customers some sort of energy reducing technology (“You will save $__ /year; the payback is only ___ years). However, this study indicates that many people will show more interest in such a product if it is shown that it will reduce air toxic emissions into the local air.

This study was conducted on apartment dwellers of UCLA-owned residences. Subject families completed surveys to determine their baseline energy use, including costs. A website was set up to allow residents to compare energy usage among dwellers. Over the next 4 months, one group received weekly emails telling them how much less energy certain neighbors were using and as a result, how much more the target families were spending on energy costs each month. Another group was told that certain neighbors were emitting less air toxics into the local air and was told of the positive health effects if they can reduce their emissions further, too, by reducing certain energy use practices, such as reduced number of asthma attacks and cancer.

People who were regularly told how much money they could save were unmoved to take steps to reduce their energy use. On the other hand, those that received the repeated messages focusing on the environmental benefits cut their energy use an average of 8%. This trend was strongest for people with children living in the home; they reduced their energy use by 19%.

The researchers believe that appealing to people’s beliefs in public good (improving the local environment and reducing health problems) can be as effective as appealing to their private good (saving money). Of course, the study may have been influenced by demographics (the subjects were UCLA students or employees) and the fact that energy costs in the complex are partially subsidized by the university and, therefore, cost savings were not necessarily great.

However, one positive of this study is that families can see their energy use data for individual appliances and systems (apartment heating and cooling) and track changes in energy use to specific actions, such as being away on vacation or staying up late to work on their computers. A good cross-section of residents checked their usage quite often, and became energy savvy. Seeing the immediate effect of changes in energy use may have led many to decide to reduce energy usage.

CCES has the experts to help your company or building develop cost-effective ways to reduce energy use and help you implement such programs to maximize success. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or karell@CCESworld.com.