Household energy choices: New empirical evidence and policy implications for sustainable behaviour
Report, 2024

This paper offers insights on the factors that determine household choices related to energy use, based on data from the third OECD Survey on Environmental Policies and Individual Behaviour Change (EPIC). The analysis profiles households according to patterns in reported energy use and investment in energyrelated technologies, assesses the factors driving such decisions and estimates households’ willingness to pay to reduce the emissions of the electricity they use. Results suggest that the feasibility of installing low-emissions energy technologies appears to remain a key obstacle to their uptake, and that households are willing to pay a small but positive premium for electricity produced with fewer emissions. The presence of cross-country differences in behaviours and preferences signals the importance of considering local factors in approaches to energy policies. Environmental concern and environmental motivation increase engagement in sustainable choices, pointing to the cross-cutting relevance of policy efforts to improve environmental knowledge and awareness.

energy efficiency

residential energy consumption

energy conservation

household behaviour

Author

Katherine Hassett

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Rose Mba Mebiame

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Aline Mortha

Waseda University

Miwa Nakai

Fukui Prefectural University

Helene Ahlborg

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Environmental Systems Analysis

Kavya Michael

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Environmental Systems Analysis

Ugur Ozdemir

University of Edinburgh

Ioannis Tikoudis

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Nicolina Lamhauge

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Environmental Systems Analysis

Toshi Arimura

Waseda University

Nick Johnstone

International Energy Agency

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)

Environmental Studies in Social Sciences

Economics

Other Engineering and Technologies

Areas of Advance

Energy

DOI

10.1787/534a14fe-en

Publisher

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

More information

Latest update

3/21/2025