Demographic determinants of Canada’s households’ adoption of energy efficiency measures: observations from the Households and Environment Survey, 2013

Abstract

In addition to a growing and aging population, Canada has experienced large shifts in its residential sector. There are more households, homes are larger with less people in them, and there are more appliances per household, all of which contribute to increased energy consumption. The present work explores the demographic determinants of residential energy efficiency adoption using the 2013 Households and Environment Survey. With binary logistic regressions, we predicted the odds of households adopting three energy-efficient actions: energy-saving lights, programmable thermostats, and changes to a dwelling following an energy audit. Although it was found that Canadian households are participating in energy efficiency, not all groups are participating equally. Similar to previous research, seniors appear to be more inclined to adopt less challenging measures such as energy-saving lights, as opposed to more intensive dwelling upgrades. Additionally, levels of education and income were positively related to the adoption of energy efficiency measures. However, the results showed household income to be less of a contributing factor for decisions regarding dwelling changes compared to the financial incentives offered via government grants. The results suggest a need to increase energy efficiency education and to continue offering financial incentives as the country increases its residential energy efficiency.