Energy in Daily Activities: Muddling Toward Conservation

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Abstract
A person''s pattern of energy use is influenced by a variety of psychological factors; the individual''s attitude is only one of these. By examining the energy use patterns of individuals who are known to support energy conservation these nonattitudinal factors should be evident. This article discussed the results of a questionnaire dealing with the degree to which a variety of energy-conserving activities had been adopted. The sample for this study consisted of people whose concern for energy conservation was known to be relatively high, and their responses indicated that many conservation opportunities were ignored. The most popular activities were relatively convenient and effortless, and involved familiar kinds of behavior and materials. The least popular activities were the most inconvenient and unfamiliar, and those where the connection between the behavior and any potential energy savings was not directly apparent. The findings of this study suggested the importance of increasing familiarity with newly-developed technologies and materials, and the value of providing imagery about the connections between specific activities and their energy conservation potential.

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