The Effect of Social Norms on Energy Conservation Behaviour in

Households

Introduction
In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of social norms on energy conservation behavior in
households. Energy conservation is important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving
sustainability goals. Social norms can influence behavior by shaping people's beliefs about what is
appropriate or expected behavior in a given situation. However, the impact of social norms on
energy conservation behavior in households is not well understood. This study will explore these
mechanisms through a randomized controlled experiment.

Hypothesis
Households that receive information about the social norm of energy conservation will have higher
levels of energy conservation behavior compared to households that receive neutral information.

Method

Participants:

 200 households from a local community

 A mixture of homeowners and renters
 No prior knowledge or experience with energy conservation programs

Procedure:

1. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

the social norms group or the control group.
2. The social norms group will receive information about the social norm of energy
conservation in their community. This information will include statistics on the average
energy use of households in their community, as well as information on the benefits of
energy conservation.
3. The control group will receive neutral information about energy conservation, such as
general information about energy use and tips for reducing energy consumption.
4. Both groups will receive a smart meter that will measure their energy consumption over a
four-week period.
5. Participants will be asked to fill out a survey at the beginning and end of the study to
measure their attitudes towards energy conservation and their energy conservation
behavior.
6. Data on energy consumption will be analysed to compare the energy conservation behavior
of the two groups.
 7. Statistical tests will be conducted to determine the significance of the differences in energy
conservation behavior between the two groups.

Data Analysis

Descriptive statistics will be calculated to summarize the characteristics of the sample, including
mean, standard deviation, range, and distribution of variables.

To test the hypothesis, a two-sample t-test will be conducted to compare the mean energy
consumption of the social norms group and the control group. This test will assess whether there is a
statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of energy conservation behavior.

Regression analysis will be used to examine the relationship between social norms and energy
conservation behavior, controlling for demographic variables such as age, gender, income, and
education level. This analysis will provide insight into the factors that influence energy conservation
behavior and the extent to which social norms affect behavior above and beyond these demographic
factors.

Additional exploratory analysis will be conducted to investigate any potential moderating or

mediating effects of other variables on the relationship between social norms and energy
conservation behavior.

Expected Outcome

We expect to find that households in the social norms group will have higher levels of energy
conservation behavior compared to households in the control group. This would suggest that social
norms can be an effective tool for promoting energy conservation behavior in households.
Furthermore, we anticipate that demographic factors such as age, gender, income, and education
level may also be associated with energy conservation behavior, and that social norms may have a
stronger effect on behavior among certain subgroups of the population.