Energy-Related Attitude/Belief Variables in Conventional Econometric Equations: An Empirical Approach Applied to Residential Energy Consumption.

摘要

The study analyzes a subsample of 523 households from the 1975 Lifestyles and Household Energy Use Survey conducted for the Washington Center for Metropolitan Studies. The study explores the empirical relationship between a set of four Energy-Related Attitude/Belief (ERAB) variables, household electricity and natural gas consumption, and three Energy-Related Discrete Choice (ERDC) variables. Using principal components factor analysis, the ERAB variables were constructed from a portion of the survey responses dealing with what households felt should be done to handle current or future energy shortages. A key finding of the study is that in the context of a conventional econometric specification of electricity and natural gas consumption, ERAB variables are statistically significant, although less significant than conventional explanatory variables for household energy consumption.