Energy efficiency in buildings through information - Swedish perspective

The studies presented here have shown that it is fully possible to influence energy consumption through information. An increase in the knowledge among consumers will motivate them to be more energy efficient. Since several interrelated factors are involved in this knowledge level, it is difficult to establish the individual in fluences but such factors as the electricity bills, electricity metering, discounting and even general information campaigns, have shown to give a positive results. Energy efficiency through investment leads to long lasting results, while the effects of behavioural change may diminish very rapidly. Various investigations have shown different results. Some of them showed decreasing effect after just a week whereas others led to significantly longer lasting results. There was, however, a tendency showing that the longer the duration of the trial or the larger the information quantity contributions were, the more prolonged were the effects. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.