Seeing others and being seen – Visibility of household energy efficiency behaviour

Summary

In this thesis, we explore how the visibility of behaviour affects thoughts and actions regarding household energy efficiency. Visibility of behavior is a channel of communication, as people can observer and learn from others, formulate impressions, and signal their identity. Through three empirical chapters, we find that when people observer others, they take interest in the characteristics of the person they observe and the aesthetic appeal of the energy efficiency measures. It is also found that people are negative about being observed by others, and would like their energy efficiency measures to be aesthetically appealing if they have to be visible. In the fifth chapter, we provide a framework of how visibility can be used in government actions to promote household energy efficiency behavior. We hope the thesis sheds light on how the visibility of behavior influences people’s engagement with household energy efficiency, and how visibility and visual appearance of behavior can be manipulated to encourage household energy efficiency.