Overcoming Barriers to Residential Conservation: Do Energy Audits Help

摘要

A study on the effects of energy audits on the pace and choice of household investment in energy-saving improvements in the home is reported. An evaluation based on the household's assessment of the usefulness of the audit which was provided for their home was performed. The number and types of recent conservation actions among audited and unaudited samples of households are compared. The audit's effect on household knowledge about the economically attractive options for their home and on the choice of recent improvements is assessed. Possible reasons are suggested for the weak effect of audits in stimulating activity and reorienting investment choices. (ERA citation 08:012567)