On 15 July 1979, president Jimmy Carter called on the American people to save energy and play their part in averting an impending energy crisis in an historic televised address to the nation.Sadly, results of doorstep interviews three days later revealed there was no difference in energy consumption behaviour between those who had watched the televised appeal and those that had not.The public had listened, but they had not learned.
Fast forward to 2011 and the UK is poised to begin its largest energy conservation programme yet: the rollout of smart meters to all households.Much like Carter's address, this project has the clear aim of driving down energy usage by influencing consumers and providing them with the means to change their consumption habits.But will history repeat itself? Or this time, will the public listen and learn?
To understand how to successfully achieve a behavioural change, we need to turn
to a field of research that lifts the lid on the concept of motivation -
psychology - and apply it to energy conservation. To find out more, read out
article in Utility Week @ http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/news/news_story.asp?id=196026&title=Saving+energy+is+about+behaviour+change%2C+not+just+smart+meters
