Planning home energy retrofit in a social environment: The role of perceived descriptive and injunctive social norms

He, S.; Qian, QK

doi:10.1016/j.scs.2023.104954

Planning home energy retrofit in a social environment

Title

Planning home energy retrofit in a social environment: The role of perceived descriptive and injunctive social norms

Author

He, S. (TU Delft Design & Construction Management; Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Qian, QK (TU Delft Design & Construction Management)

Date

2023

Abstract

In the built environment, improving the energy efficiency of existing building stock through retrofitting is the top pillar to mitigate climate change. Despite the efforts made by local authorities to provide technical and financial supports, the home energy retrofit rate remains low. This study aims to improve the understanding of how homeowners make their energy retrofit plans in a social environment, thereby informing behavioural policy (re)design. Using a sample of inexperienced retrofitters among Dutch homeowners (N = 556), we investigate the relationship between perceived social norms and energy retrofit plans. The results show that homeowners who perceive a positive injunctive norm have an 11.8 percentage point higher probability of making a home energy retrofit plan compared to those with a non-positive perception. Perceived injunctive norms are also significantly associated with the number of planned retrofit measures and aligned with multiple direct barriers and motivations for retrofitting. However, perceived descriptive norms are only associated with the number of planned retrofit measures, and are even correlated with stronger perceived barriers. We conclude by discussing different social influence pathways of descriptive and injunctive norms, as well as the potential of leveraging social norms as a behavioural policy intervention to promote home energy retrofit.

Subject

Energy efficiency
Home energy retrofit
Informational social influence
Normative social influence
Perceived social norms

To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:5ccf47b7-bcab-4cbc-a5df-66bd17778f3d

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2023.104954

ISSN

2210-6707

Source

Sustainable Cities and Society, 99

Part of collection

Institutional Repository