What’s Missing in Theories of the Residential Energy User

摘要

Residential energy use has been envisioned in varied ways, each highlighting differentrnfactors and capturing a partial truth. This paper outlines assumptions of core theories aboutrnhousehold energy use. It gives an abbreviated list of major empirical findings framed by theserntheories. It then identifies a new set of "blind spots" created by overly-simple reliance onrnmodels and by data shortcomings that in combination may block development of a morernsophisticated understanding of energy use. Policies and program strategies, in turn, can becomernoriented toward simplistic approaches to change. We point to the need for improvedrninterpretation and elaboration of existing theories, and accordingly toward richer comprehensionrnof energy users and the dynamics of energy use, suitable to the wider policy world of climaternchange and sustainability that the energy use research field now faces.