Energy choices in households - consumption for sustainability

• Consumption has become one of the most crucial factors, or tools, for managing development towards sustainability. Consumption offers different choices on the scale of more or less sustainable commodities. The politics and responsibility for the environment has to a large extent been transferred from an aggregate level of national politics to the world of everyday life. This paper investigates how different actors try to influence the choices made in the world of everyday life concerning energy. The study is conducted through interviews with different actors such as energy companies and municipal energy advisors, and by participating observation of practices where households are informed or educated in areas concerning energy. Another growing source of information and knowledge is, of course, the Internet. A number of different websites have been selected and analyzed in the same manner as other material. There are different ways to motivate households to change their energy behaviour. There is a strong conviction that in order to change behaviour, something must be gained, preferably economic gain. A more efficient way of living results in more money left in the wallet, and a positive side effect is that it is also good for the environment. The idea of efficiency might be the strongest one. Increasing efficiency is a way of not changing lifestyle but changing technical equipment and user routines.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Övrig annan samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

energy

discourse

consumption

efficiency

knowledge

environment

household

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS

TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN

Technology and social change

Teknik och social förändring

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)