Systemic and Psychological Barriers to Reducing Energy Consumption

Panel: Panel 4: Human dimensions of energy use and efficiency

Authors:
Krzysztof Mudyñ, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University
Zbigniew Ryzak, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University

Abstract

The authors distinguish and discuss 3 groups of factors impeding reduction of energy consumption. These are: (1) a lack of appreciation (by the users) of indirect negative consequences of an increase in energy consumption on a global scale; (2) a positive association of the level of consumption in general (and consequently, the amount of energy consumed) with social status; (3) a lack of efficient cognitive and financial feedback concerning the amount of electrical energy consumed, resulting from the specific nature of this product. The authors suggest that the most promising possibilities (not requiring high investments) lie in improving this feedback, that is, by directly informing users about the amount of energy consumed and the costs of it.

The aim of our paper is to discuss three groups of factors impeding reduction of energy consumption on a global scale and to stress the complex nature of their systemic conditions. In our view, all important conditions, if we consider them genetically, have complex nature (social-economic-cultural), and thus are systemic. Considering, however, that all decisions concerning the consumption of energy are made by people (individually or collectively) based on of available information and subjective probability of expected consequences (immediate and delayed) - the problem has also psychological facets. Therefore, it is worth considering the problem simultaneously in two complementary aspects: objective systemic conditions on one hand, and subjective decisions of energy-users and psychological functions of their behaviour, on the other.

One can distinguish three groups of factors, which - in our view - have important influence on the level of energy consumption in a given community: (1) not noticing or not appreciating (by individual users) the importance of problems resulting from the increase in energy consumption on a global scale; (2) positive correlation between the level of consumption in general (and thus, indirectly, the level of energy consumption), and social status or prestige; (3) a lack of sufficiently efficient cognitive and financial feedback between the amount of energy consumed and one? direct costs and (delayed) social and environmental costs.