Social marketing and residential electricity consumption: Every kilowatt matters

This book chapter explores consumers’ attitudes towards climate change and energy resources along with their electricity consumption practices in the home. The discussion is situated within the wider context of sustainability. The research is important, because firstly, research into the electricity consumption practices of Australian households is surprisingly sparse, albeit growing (Moloney, Horne, and Fien, Energy Policy 38(12):7614–7623, 2010; Mullaly, Energy Policy, 26(14):1041–1052, 1998; Sommerfeld, Buys, and Vine, Energy Policy 105:10–16, 2017). Secondly, it is essential to gain a better insight into the ‘attitudes-behaviour’ gap which can underpin effective and targeted social marketing campaigns, and finally, promoting energy-efficient behaviours may play a role in climate change mitigation efforts. Findings are based on a consumer survey of 325 respondents in a regional city. The research shows that survey participants attach importance to minimizing electricity usage in the home and the adoption of roof-top solar systems is related to age, education, political affiliation and home ownership. The study shows that there is a divergence in attitudes towards the use of fossil fuels as a source of electricity generation, however patterns of electricity consumption in the home are quite similar across the sample. Recommendations therefore focus on behavioural modifications to reduce electricity use during peak demand and encourage the installation of electricity-saving devices in the home.