Pleasurable Ways of Staying Warm – A Pathway towards Reduced Energy Consumption

Paper in proceeding, 2013

Hedonic consequences of pro-environmental behaviour can constitute an important barrier to behaviour change. Subsequently, hedonic aspects of heating and hot water use must be understood to be able to consider possible hedonic consequences when promoting less energy demanding ways of staying warm. Two user studies were performed aimed at exploring what types of hedonic pleasures that are elicited through use of hot water and heating systems, additional heating artefacts, and in different types of thermal situations. It was found that physical and emotional pleasures are present in everyday use of heating and hot water systems and in use of additional heating artefacts. With the identified hedonic experiences as a basis, there is an opportunity to design new heating artefacts that are pleasurable to use in a pro-environmental manner.