ok festival
TRANSCRIPT
Peer Comparisons: To promote positive behaviour change
OK Festival 17.9.2012
Behaviour change
Behavioural scientists claim that:
• Domestic energy consumption can be reduced by up to 30% if minor changes are made to our daily lives
Changes not related to standard of living or quality of life
• Actions such as using:
• Low energy light bulbs
• Washing clothing at a lower temperature
• Turn down heating when on holidays
Motivations
Financial incentives:
• Effect disappears when incentive is removed
• Do not appeal to all sections of society evenly
Reward Schemes:
• Compared to your previous behaviour
• Focus on how much improvement has been made
• Unfairly rewards those who have been wasteful in the past
• Earth Aid www.earthaid.net
• My Emissions Exchange www.myemissionsexchange.com
Peer Comparisons
Comparing consumption is the most effective way to promote positive behaviour:
• Allows us to reward / praise those that are behaving efficiently
• Encourages / “nudges” those that are not
Peer comparison social networking websites already exist:
• Carbon Rally www.carbonrally.com
• Carbon Diet www.carbondiet.org
• Step Green www.stepgreen.org
• They encourage the public to declare their carbon footprint and to compete with their friends to actively reduce it
What does a peer comparison scheme look like?
Energy Sculpture
© Sitra
Apartment Energy Visualisations
© Sitra
© Sitra
Student Acommodation
© HOAS
Advice on Energy Bills
© OPower
Relating energy to peers
Barriers:
• Transparent energy consumption
• Transparent number of users
Reward schemes
Residential building example:
• A block of similar 2 bedroom apartments
• Incentive scheme to reduce energy
• Reward given to the lowest energy consumption over time period
Summary
Peer comparisons are the most effective method of promoting
positive behaviour change
Key transparent data elements are required:
• Residential energy consumption
• Number of occupants
Ken Dooley
Sustainability Group Manager
Energy and Environment
@sustaingranlund