This article caught my attention because of the perfect match with the 3 research questions which I had in my mind during the first class of this course. Consumer’s perceptions about energy demand, supply, usage and concerns will vary across people from different geographies, economic environment as well as social status.
Another reason why I found this article appealing was that this paper has drawn data from at least 14 different studies done by different people across different times in varying locations. There can be a question raised that how these multiple studies with no common factor are comparable or even qualify to be included as sources of information for this paper. While this is a valid point, it is worthwhile to also highlight the other side of the coin. So many multiple studies done in different environments gives stronger evidence of the universality or uniformity of energy concerns among consumers.
Time did not permit me to read each of the research papers cited in the paper. However, a thorough reading of this paper does provide a very good summary of the topic at hand. Consumer perceptions can be a multi headed monster for both the consumer as well as the energy provider. So, this is a very important topic to dwell on while discussing energy vulnerability.
One issue which lingered in my mind after reading this paper was the issue of energy units versus money units. This is interesting as I think that the same consumer may have differing viewpoints based on the usage of the unit while discussing energy concerns with him / her, primarily because of perceptions. The comparison of large and small appliances in residential houses with respect to consumer perceptions versus actual usage and data give a lot of inputs to ponder.
Basic consumer behavior of focus on heuristics of appliances rather than energy usage or efficiency as stated here is not surprising. Another aspect of human behavior met expectations when the discussion was on energy ailment strategies versus energy efficient ones. Any regular consumer would prefer to think short term than long term while trying to save money. Switching off appliances is much easier than insulating one’s household to achieve energy efficiency. However, the irony is that it is actually the insulation which will save money for the consumer in the long run.
The conclusions and recommendations for future studies is concise and clear and gives a sound ending to the paper. This paper is useful reading for both the consumer as well as the energy provider.
Vedran Lesic, Wändi Bruine de Bruin, Matthew C Davis and Tamar Krishnamurti and Inês M L Azevedo, "Consumers’ perceptions of energy use and energy savings: A literature review", contributed by Lopamudra Bhattacharyya, The Energy Rights Project, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 21 April 2020, accessed 25 April 2024. https://energyrights.info/content/consumers’-perceptions-energy-use-and-energy-savings-literature-review
Critical Commentary
This article caught my attention because of the perfect match with the 3 research questions which I had in my mind during the first class of this course. Consumer’s perceptions about energy demand, supply, usage and concerns will vary across people from different geographies, economic environment as well as social status.
Another reason why I found this article appealing was that this paper has drawn data from at least 14 different studies done by different people across different times in varying locations. There can be a question raised that how these multiple studies with no common factor are comparable or even qualify to be included as sources of information for this paper. While this is a valid point, it is worthwhile to also highlight the other side of the coin. So many multiple studies done in different environments gives stronger evidence of the universality or uniformity of energy concerns among consumers.
Time did not permit me to read each of the research papers cited in the paper. However, a thorough reading of this paper does provide a very good summary of the topic at hand. Consumer perceptions can be a multi headed monster for both the consumer as well as the energy provider. So, this is a very important topic to dwell on while discussing energy vulnerability.
One issue which lingered in my mind after reading this paper was the issue of energy units versus money units. This is interesting as I think that the same consumer may have differing viewpoints based on the usage of the unit while discussing energy concerns with him / her, primarily because of perceptions. The comparison of large and small appliances in residential houses with respect to consumer perceptions versus actual usage and data give a lot of inputs to ponder.
Basic consumer behavior of focus on heuristics of appliances rather than energy usage or efficiency as stated here is not surprising. Another aspect of human behavior met expectations when the discussion was on energy ailment strategies versus energy efficient ones. Any regular consumer would prefer to think short term than long term while trying to save money. Switching off appliances is much easier than insulating one’s household to achieve energy efficiency. However, the irony is that it is actually the insulation which will save money for the consumer in the long run.
The conclusions and recommendations for future studies is concise and clear and gives a sound ending to the paper. This paper is useful reading for both the consumer as well as the energy provider.