Energising behaviour change

More insights from the Energy Saving Trust

The key drivers, being reported by lots of different sources that range from Ariel washing powder, Tetley tea (less water in the kettle please) are making the right things the norm for a lot more people.

There is still a lot of room for improvement, and there's a caveat for inaccuracies caused by self-reporting of behaviour uptake. Most people don't make the link between hot water and energy use - only 8% do. There's a perception in many parts of the country that there's no issue: "there's a lot of water around in our part of the country, so why would we save water - the South East is a long way from here"

The government has decided that within 10 years or so, every home will have a smart meter, and it's important that people know what the information on the displays actually means. Potentially, older people will need more.

There are roughly 250,000 cavity walls without insulation in Wales (350,000 tonnes of carbon a year potential saving). Some people don't understand / like the technology - 4% of people - Andy Bull's experience at Severn Wye Energy is that much of the dooubt is (naturally) based on inaccurate information and 'friends of friends' who say 'it creates damp, when it doesn't. Affordability is the reason for 42% of people in Wales - partly because people over-estimate how much it will cost relative to the savings, others lack the knowledge or the motivation (I couldn't figure what this meant in detail) - maybe couldn't be bothered to find out the actual information that was needed. We may well need added incentives such as council tax rebates or use of stronger measures for say, the private rented sector.

Higher cost measures such as microgen and solid wall insulation have different challenges. 5000 properties out of 430,000 properties with solid walls. By 2020 Wale needs to have 120,000 additional properties to have been fixed. 50,000 of electric and heat microgen installations are needed by 2020. The real barriers around solid wall insulation are a general lack of interest -interest decreases when owner-occupiers find out cost, disruption, space and aesthetic impact - with none of the turbine type signals that people are doing the right thing. Solid wall insulation is just a wall at the end of the day!

There's still a big gap in knowledge in terms of many of the technologies; 47% of housholds say that they're interested in finding out whether their proprety is suitable for micro-generation. For those that don't find their way to EST, people want to know that a) the tech is suitable, b) it works - without this, it's very easy for scepticism to grow.

What's needed? Advice for builders on materials etc, better access to demonstration projects, field trials of technologies, use of the new Feed In Tariffs, and roll out of PAYS pilots.

Big shift in consumer choices

In a survey published by Edelman last week, substantial changes are occurring in the way that consumers are reporting the factors that determine their choices on a day to day basis. Assuming that the statements made to the researchers are borne out by behaviour, this shift may mark a turning point for brands that have have been slow to get on board.

“Despite the recession, consumers are still spending with companies and brands which have a social purpose”

Bearing in mind that the responses were gathered during a dramatic global recession, this is a big shift towards values-based choices that all product and service providers could do well to take into account in their business planning and strategy.

“In new findings released from the recently published Edelman goodpurpose™ Consumer Study, a survey of 6,000 people in 10 countries, 57 percent globally say a company or brand has earned their business because it has been doing its part to support good causes and two out of three (67 percent) globally also say they would switch brands if another brand of similar quality supported a good cause

“The study also found that 83 percent of people are willing to change consumption habits if it can help make the world a better place to live, indicating a startling consumer shift and trend away from traditional status markers like big houses and luxury cars and toward identification with social purpose brands. The findings overall show that today more than twice as many people (67 percent) would rather drive a hybrid car than a luxury car (33 percent), with Japan (89 percent) and France (84 percent) preferring hybrid cars most.

“People are demanding social purpose, and brands are recognizing it as an area where they can differentiate themselves and in many parts of the world, not only meet governmental compliance requirements, but also build brand equity,” said Mitch Markson. “This year’s study shows that if companies respond intelligently to the sea change in consumer attitudes, brand loyalty among consumers – even during seriously challenging economic times – will actually grow. Even better, consumers will want to share their support for these brands with others.”

“Europeans are least likely to think that product brands support good causes nowadays, they indicate that supporting good causes in their everyday lives is important. More than three out of four people in the UK, France, Germany and Italy were willing to change their own consumption habits if it can help make tomorrow’s world a better place to live. Though the economic downturn has made Americans most likely to give less money to good causes, they too overwhelmingly indicate they are willing to change consumption habits to make the world a better place to live (85 percent) and are looking to companies and brands to make it easier for them to make a difference (65 percent).

While the study reveals that social purpose is becoming increasingly crucial to a brand’s success, a brand purpose must be authentic and true to the core values of the brand itself, and brands must look beyond traditional corporate social responsibility programs in which they simply donate money to a good cause. As the study notes, 66 percent of people believe that it’s no longer enough for corporations to merely give money away, but that they must integrate good causes into their day-to-day business.

“Companies that become catalysts for social change and respond to rising consumer expectations that they and their brands help make the world a better place will not only survive, but also thrive, in ways their competitors will not,” said Markson. “Mutual social responsibility provides that opportunity, as people today are more passionately involved and supportive than ever, yet more demanding and unforgiving, as well.”

Continue the social purpose conversation at www.goodpurposecommunity.com , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/goodpurpose  and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LIVEgoodpurpose  

KEY 2009 GLOBAL DATA HIGHLIGHTS

BIGGEST GLOBAL CHANGES SINCE 2008

• 71% think brands and companies spend too much on advertising and marketing and should put more into good causes – up almost 10 percentage points

• 64% would recommend a brand that supports a good cause – up from 52% last year globally

• 59% would help a brand promote its products if there was a good cause behind it – up from 53% last year

• 44% are aware of brands that actively support good causes through their products and services – up from 33%

• 16% find contentment from shopping – down from 25%

2009 HIGHLIGHTS

• 83% willing to change consumption habits if it can help make the world a better place to live

• 70% prefer an eco-friendly house to a big house (30%)

• 68% feel that it is becoming more unacceptable not to make efforts to show concern for the environment and live a healthy lifestyle

• 67% would switch brands if another brand of similar quality supported a good cause

• 67% prefer a hybrid car to a luxury car (33%)

• 64% would recommend a brand that supports a good cause

• 64% expect brands today to support a good cause

• 63% are looking toward brands and companies to make it easier for them to make a difference

• 61% have bought a brand that supports a good cause even if it wasn’t the cheapest brand

• 59% have a better opinion of corporations that integrate good causes into their business no matter why they do so (61% in the U.S., 51% in Germany, 58% in Italy, 64% in India, 65% in China and 52% in Japan)

• 57% say a company or brand has earned their business because it has done its part to support good causes