Improving utility conservation programs: Outcomes, interventions, and evaluations

Abstract

Four major California utility companies have active energy conservation programs mandated by the State's Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). These companies evaluate their programs and send reports of the evaluations to the CPUC. A review of 213 of these reports revealed a marketing research approach toward promoting conservation. Advertising and informational campaigns characterize most programs, and attitudes and self-reported behavior were the major outcome measures. This approach is shown to be ineffective. Suggestions for improvement include: 1. (1) the use of actual energy consumption as the primary outcome measure in evaluating conservation programs; 2. (2) the abandonment of conventional advertising, and the use of it only for the promotion of “hard” interventions; 3. (3) increased use of social diffusion methods to disseminate information; 4. (4) the design of more effective educational material by incorporating cognitive social psychological principles; and 5. (5) the utilization of “hard” interventions that have a direct, verifiable link to conservation.