Mid Sweden University

-Introduction:  Semi-structured interviews were carried out among households after participating in an intervention with motivation-increasing design and behavior focused techniques in order to change behavior towards a reduction of residential energy use. In the intervention differentiated energy use for daily domestic behaviors was monitored in real time via an internet-based system for a period of eight weeks by 25 residents. Modern feedback- and reinforcement strategies, based on learning psychology, were carried out in order to enhance motivation for change and follow-up studies analysed the maintenance of change for another 3 months.The present study will investigate and identify factors influencing the experience of persons participating in an intervention on behavior change towards energy conservation in households.     

-Theoretical background: Content analysis based on hermeneutic reasons was used to achieve an interpretive understanding of the meaning of the text with special attention to context and original purpose (Patton, 2002).

-Methods: Semi-structured interviews, lasting around 30 min, were conducted among eight households, three households in the experimental group and five in the control group, after participating in an intervention for reducing electricity consumption. The transcripts from the interviews were analyzed by means of qualitative content analysis as described by Graneheim and Lundman (2004). The method is based on classification and assessment of symbols and themes, categories and sub-categories, in a systematic and inductive way in order to point out the meaning of a written or verbal communication (Kvale, & Brinkman, 2014; Krippendorff, 2004).

-Results: The content analysis of the interview transcripts identified motivational factors and barriers as themes, explaining how change of residential energy behavior within an intervention was experienced. As motivational factors, promoting the willingness to reduce residential energy use, the participants stated expectations and interest, reduction of costs, visual feedback through the graphical display of energy use, advice on energy saving behaviors, specific feedback and increased awareness of behavior and energy. As barriers, explaining why the intervention did not reach the expected energy reduction, reasons stated were difficulties to understand the graphical display, uncertainty about the effects of behavior change, maintenance of old habits and difficulties to choose goals for change.

-Conclusions: Future energy policies and interventions should consider the found motivational- and barrier factors in order to be successful in promoting behavior change towards a reduction of energy consumption in households.