How to support sustainable energy consumption in households?

Abstract

Households are responsible for almost 30% of final energy consumption in the EU. Therefore, sustainable energy consumption in households can provide a lot of benefits for energy savings, use of renewables and GHG emission reduction. Environmental awareness plays an important role in promoting sustainable energy consumption in households, fostering low carbon energy transition, and creating a carbon-neutral society in the EU by 2050. Though the use of renewables and energy efficiency improvements in households are increasing in the EU, the low environmental awareness about the benefits of sustainable energy consumption, especially in vulnerable households receiving state support, might be an important barrier to creating a carbon-neutral society in the EU. The paper analyses the main scientific literature showing the linkages between environmental awareness and sustainable energy consumption in households and presents the results of an empirical study conducted in Lithuanian households. The study identified the main barriers to sustainable energy consumption in households and assessed state policies targeting sustainable energy consumption in households.