Keeping it real. Lessons on implementing sustainable consumption policy at a local level

Technology often receives undue credit for behavioural change. As smart meters and other smart energy technology roll out, expectations in policy circles are that they will lead to the adoption of sustainable energy consumption patterns among residential users (see for instance, European Commission 2014).

When does use of an energy monitor lead to a sustainable lifestyle? This paper presents the preliminary results of a local politically-endorsed smart energy project with 136 households in Brussels, Belgium. The aim of the project is to help citizens reduce their electricity consumption at home through use of an energy monitor, knowledge exchange and gamification (engagement) techniques. Building on insights from literature on technological acceptance (Venkatesh et al. 2003) and behavioural change (Stern 2005) we have sought to embed the energy monitor in an information-rich, community-centred and enabling environment. We hypothesise that the technology will provide participants with insight into their consumption patterns, but will not lead to sustainable lifestyle changes in or of itself.

Preliminary results show that the energy monitor’s capability to incite a sustainable lifestyle is highly dependent on the user. For less tech-savvy participants, the technology has even served as a barrier to change, especially when installation and use are perceived as being complex. Further, on par with (or more important than) offering technology, being embedded in the local community has been crucial to receiving positive results in the project. Without an intermediary, technology cannot (in the long term) stimulate, direct or nudge participants into reducing their household energy consumption. The support (and pressure) that can come from a community of like-minded individuals pursuing the same objective should not be underestimated.