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Krishnamurti, T., Davis, A., Wong-Parodi, G., Canfield, C., & Wang, J. (2013). Creating an in-home display: experimental evidence and guidelines for design, Applied Energy, 108, 448-458

Transcript

HOST: You’ve heard the phrase “keeping up with the Jonses”. Can knowing how much energy my neighbor uses affect my energy use? On this week’s EnergyBite, Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, a scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, has some answers.

GABRIELLE WONG-PARODI: Researchers have found that a home energy display that provides consumers with their energy use in kilowatt hours- not financial savings- was the most effective way to communicate energy information.

HOST: What other information motivates consumers to reduce energy?

GABRIELLE WONG-PARODI: One analysis found that providing additional information to consumers such as how their energy influences human health really motivates people to reduce their energy use, especially if they have children and elderly living at home with them. Another influence is comparing their energy use to their neighbors.

HOST: When can consumer home energy use displays less effective?

GABRIELLE WONG-PARODI: Although those tested thought financial savings for reducing energy consumption for a particular appliance would be more motivating, that was not the case. This is because the cost of energy use for one device at a specific point of time is very small – say a few cents per hour – so it was not enough to influence behavior.

HOST: What display in your home, if any, would motivate you to reduce your energy consumption? Take our poll, see the results, and ask your energy questions at EnergyBite.org.