Turning awareness into behavior: Meta-analysis of household residential life energy transition behavior from the dual perspective of internal driving forces and external inducing forces

Abstract

The transition in household energy use from conventional to clean energy sources plays a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. In this study, we systematically considered the driving-inducing mechanisms of household residential energy transition from both external scenarios and internal psychological aspects. Based on data from 361,127 samples spanning 2005–2021, this study innovatively proposed the driving-inducing mechanism of the household energy transition. With the help of meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis (MRA), we comprehensively analyzed the psychological and behavioral differences in the process of household energy transition in different countries and different clean energy types, and revealed the evolution pattern of household residents from transition awareness to transition behavior in response to external scenarios and internal psychological changes. The results showed that the optimal drivers and inducers of household energy transition vary according to the diversity of clean energy types, and policy utility dislocation is the key external inducer that influences the transition from awareness to behavior of household residents. Further, the policy strategy should be tailored by region and type to better promote household energy transition.