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15 Jan 2010, 12:10 Add Comment

What is it? 2kWh per day. The amount of energy saved by people when they were told that their neighbours were trying to save energy, writes Nick Buck.

Why does it matter? A recent experiment involving 800 Californians has shown that that social psychological factors are more important than financial and ethical factors in shaping behaviour. The experiment involved placing information on the front doors of San Diego residents once a week for a month. The door hangers carried one of four messages:

1. They could save money by conserving energy
2. They could save the earth's resources by conserving energy
3. They could be socially responsible citizens by conserving energy
4. The majority of their neighbors tried regularly to conserve energy

A control group also had information that simply encouraged energy conservation but provided no rationale.

The only one of these messages to have any effect on energy consumption was number 4 - keeping up with the Joneses.

To meet the stringent carbon emissions reduction targets set by government there will need to be significant shifts in the behaviour of the population. It is essential that we find the most effective ways to motivate people to make positive changes to unsustainable lifestyles.

It may be that Human Psychology has the answer

What can we do about it? As property professionals we can provide super efficient building and communities, but if occupants are not motivated to use them properly the benefits will be severely constrained. The challenge is to meet our targets whilst avoiding over-controlling policies and strategies that could foster resentment.

This experiment suggests that another way to encourage desirable and sustainable behaviours might be 'seeding'. If one house on every street were given an eco-makeover we might see a local pyschological ripple effect. The natural interest in what the neighbours are up to could raise awareness of the sustainability agenda, and impact on the uptake of available grants and technologies. A similar approach could also prove successful in commercial property, where high environmental performance results in competitive advantage.

What if we do nothing? We miss out on what may be one of the cheapest and most effective means of influencing occupier behaviour.

Who's leading the way? The advertising industry is spending millions on exploiting this phenomenon, and governments are starting to catch on to the policy implications. The leading academic thinker in this field is Professor Robert Cialdini, though practical examples are currently rare.

Further Reading Nolan, J. M.. Schultz, P. W., Cialdini, R. B., Goldstein, N. J., & Griskevicius, V. (2008) Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 34, No. 7, 913-923

Goldstein, N. J., Cialdini, R. B., & Griskevicius, V. (2008) A Room with a Viewpoint: Using Social Norms to Motivate Environmental Conservation in Hotels. Journal Of Consumer Research Vol. 35 Number

Nick Buck is sustainability consultant at Drivers Jonas in Manchester

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