Do Pro-Environmental Factors Lead to Customers’ Purchase Intention of Home Energy Management System? The Moderating Effects of Energy-Efficient Habits

Abstract

Environmental challenges, encompassing climate change and global warming, compel consumers to alter their consumption habits. Although there has been a notable surge in consumer awareness regarding pro-environmental practices, especially concerning home energy, there remains a lack of comprehensive research exploring the factors affecting consumers' willingness to adopt or invest in home energy management system (HEMS) technology. Notably, there have been no studies focused on the factors influencing HEMS purchase intentions (PI) in the Iranian context. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the norm activation model (NAM), this research delves into PI of Iranian households regarding HEMS, categorizing it as a type of eco-friendly behavior. It specifically analyzes the influence of factors such as attitude (ATT), social norms (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC), awareness of consequences (AOC), personal norms (PN), and energy-efficient habits (EEH). Moreover, this research scrutinizes the potential moderating effects of EEH on the association among ATT, PBC, and PI. Using structural equation modeling, an innovative integrated model was tested based on data collected from 220 Iranian residents. The findings revealed that ATT, SN, AOC, and EEH significantly contribute to the purchase intention of HEMS among Iranians. Additionally, both AOC and SN were found to influence PN. These insights offer a fresh perspective on the pro-environmental determinants shaping the HEMS purchase decisions of Iranian consumers.