SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF HOUSEHOLD ENERGY CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES (CALIFORNIA

Energy conservation programs have been concentrated in the residential sector. An understanding of the variables that affect household energy conservation can lead to more effective consumer energy policies. In this study, four categories of variables relevant to household conservation were examined--demographics, household structure, conservation experience and attitudes, and conservation policy preferences. A distinction was made between two types of conservation activities--efficiency measures and curtailment actions.;A mail questionnaire was set to 2,000 Ventura County residents randomly selected from the Haine's Directory. There were 500 returned questionnaires yielding a response rate of 25%.;Seven hypotheses were tested: (1) Owners adopt more efficiency measures than renters; (2) Renters take more curtailment actions than owners; (3) Residents favor local conservation policies that require no personal action; (4) The middle-income adopt more efficiency measures than either the low- or high-income; (5) The low-income take more energy curtailment actions than the high-income; (6) Energy efficiency measures have different predictors than energy curtailment actions; and (7) The hypothesized structural relationships among the relevant variables fit the data.;Results indicated that owners adopted significantly more efficiency measures than renters, but renters did not take more curtailment actions than owners. Respondents favored local energy conservation policies that required no personal action. The number of efficiency measures adopted increased with income, but the number of curtailment actions taken did not decrease with higher income. Finally, it was found that the hypothesized structural relationships among the relevant variables did not fit the data particularly well.;The discussion focused on the implications of these results. Recommendations were made that would increase the effectiveness of existing conservation programs. An energy policy was also suggested that is consistent with the findings in this study.