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Towards a typology of residential energy consumers: Social context and awareness as predictors of energy-efficient household behaviors in the United States
Institute for Global Sustainability, Boston University, Boston, United States; School of Sociology, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States.
Institute for Global Sustainability, Boston University, Boston, United States; Bennett Institute for Innovation and Policy Acceleration, University of Sussex Business School, Sussex, United Kingdom; Department of Business Technology and Development, Aarhus University, Herning, Denmark.
Institute for Global Sustainability, Boston University, Boston, United States; Sustainability Research Institute, Schneider Electric TM, Boston, United States.
KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Management & Technology. Institute for Global Sustainability, Boston University, Boston, United States; Energy Systems, Linköping university, Linköping, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8508-4212
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2026 (English)In: Ecological Economics, ISSN 0921-8009, E-ISSN 1873-6106, Vol. 248, article id 109058Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Residential or household energy use in heating, cooling, and lighting must become more efficient to advance residential decarbonization and meet 2050 global climate targets. This study presents a typology of social impacts and behaviors, emphasizing normative community roles in decarbonization of residential buildings. We examine efficiency-related behaviors in the private sphere including lighting, air-conditioning use, and building upgrades using a nationally representative United States dataset (n = 1002). We analyze social encouragement from friends, family, and workplace. OLS analyses show that these social normative pressures significantly predict ongoing energy-efficiency behaviors, including both developing behaviors (i.e. managing air conditioning, β = 0.220, p < .001) and habitual behaviors (i.e. turning off lights, β = 0.163, p < .001). Logit models further indicate that social influence significantly increases the likelihood of one-off efficiency upgrades in the home (b = 0.336, p < .001). Results additionally distinguish three behavioral profiles characterized by differing levels of awareness of emissions and energy issues and varying degrees of peer influence. Across profiles, contextual factors such as awareness and social encouragement outweigh demographic predictors and independently shape efficiency behaviors. These findings substantiate the importance of social context in household energy management. We conclude with policy recommendations. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV , 2026. Vol. 248, article id 109058
National Category
Sociology (Excluding Social Work, Social Anthropology, Demography and Criminology) Energy Systems
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URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-382127DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.109058ISI: 001761411300001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105037519447OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-382127DiVA, id: diva2:2061838
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QC 20260527

Available from: 2026-05-22 Created: 2026-05-22 Last updated: 2026-05-27Bibliographically approved

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Nordensvärd, JohanUrban, FraukeArvidsson, Niklas

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Ecological Economics
Sociology (Excluding Social Work, Social Anthropology, Demography and Criminology)Energy Systems

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