Drivers of Energy Conservation: Rethinking Household Energy Behaviors

Abstract

Rising energy crisis and overreliance on fossil fuels pose a significant threat to the environment and intensify climate change risks in emerging economies. Understanding the psychological drivers of energy-saving behavior is crucial for mitigating these risks. Thus, this study uniquely extended Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and offered novel insights into the roles of environmental values, moral norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) in energy-saving behavior in Bangladesh. Researchers surveyed energy consumers in Dhaka and Chattogram, two major cities of Bangladesh, using the judgment sampling method preceded by a pilot study. They obtained 467 valid responses and analyzed the data using Structural Equation Modeling in SmartPLS 4. The results show that biospheric and altruistic values positively influence moral norms that, in turn, drive energy-saving behavior. However, the positive and significant impact of hedonic values on moral norms challenges earlier evidence about the motivations for energy conservation. Also, moral norms mediate the relationships between values and energy-saving behavior. Although a positive moderation impact is observed, PBC fails to significantly moderate the association between moral norms and energy-saving behavior. All these unique findings regarding consumers’ psychological drivers will enable policymakers and energy-saving advocacy groups to design messaging strategies and behavioral intervention programs in Bangladesh and similar emerging economies.