Behavioural attitudes towards water saving? Evidence from a study of environmental actions

Given the growing emphasis being placed on water conservation in and around the home by water companies, there is a pressing need to identify the characteristics of the water saver so that policy makers can more accurately target initiatives for water conservation. This paper examines the social, attitudinal and behavioural composition of water saving activities using a sample of 1600 households from Devon. The research sought to examine the links between water saving, energy conservation, green consumerism and waste management in and around the home. Accordingly, the extent to which water saving can be placed within a behavioural context that incorporates different environmental behaviours is discussed. The data relating to water saving are then analysed and four different types of individual are defined, according to their behavioural characteristics. These are examined in the context of their demographic composition and a range of attitudinal factors. The policy implications of the research are described throughout the paper. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.