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Promoting Electricity Conservation in Singapore

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Sustainability and Environmental Decision Making

Part of the book series: Sustainable Development ((SD))

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Abstract

Interventions based on social norms are used in Singapore to promote electricity conservation. However, evidence on the role that social norms play in driving electricity saving behavior in Singapore is largely missing. With a survey on 365 Singaporean citizens and permanent residents, this study investigates whether social norms are strong predictors of electricity saving behavior or if other constructs such as personal norms or habit are more relevant. We also test how individuals respond to changes in social norms over time with the use of short fictional stories (vignettes). Results indicate that habit is the strongest driver of electricity saving behavior, while the effect of social norms is rather weak. However, we find that when individuals experience a change in social norms over time, their behavior is significantly affected. These findings suggest that providing information on the historical trajectory of the norm may increase the effectiveness of norm-based interventions to promote electricity conservation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Future Resilient Systems (FRS), Zurich, Switzerland

    Martina Cecchini

Authors
  1. Martina Cecchini
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapur, Singapore

    Euston Quah

  2. Zürich, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Renate Schubert

Appendices

Appendix A: Survey Items

We here provide a full description of the survey items used in this chapter.

Quality Check

We care about the quality of our survey data and hope to receive the most accurate measures of your opinions, so it is important to us that you thoughtfully provide your best answer to each question in the survey.

Do you commit to providing your thoughtful and honest answers to the questions in this survey?

  • I will provide my best answers.

  • I will not provide my best answers.

  • I can’t promise either way.

Self-Reported Electricity Saving Behaviour

Please indicate how often you take the following actions to save electricity in your everyday life (answers are provided on a five-point Likert scale ranging from NEVER to ALWAYS):

  • Kee** the air-conditioning at 25 °C or above

  • Using a fan instead of the air-conditioning

  • Switching off the air-conditioning when windows are open

  • Switching off all lights when leaving the house

  • Taking short showers to limit the use of the water heater

  • Avoiding overloading the refrigerator

  • Letting foods cool down before putting them in the refrigerator

  • Using natural lights when possible

Descriptive Norm

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements (answers are provided on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from STRONGLY DISAGREE to STRONGLY AGREE):

  • Most people who are important to me take action to save electricity.

  • Most people who are important to me avoid wasting electricity.

Injunctive Norm

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements (answers are provided on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from STRONGLY DISAGREE to STRONGLY AGREE):

  • Most people who are important to me want me to take action to save electricity.

  • Most people who are important to me would say that everybody should take action to save electricity.

Self-/Other-Regarding Motives

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (Answers are provided on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from STRONGLY DISAGREE to STRONGLY AGREE.) Taking action to save electricity…:

  • Makes me save money

  • Allows me and my community to enjoy a cleaner environment

  • Allows me and my community to save resources for the benefit of future generations

Personal Norm

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements (answers are provided on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from STRONGLY DISAGREE to STRONGLY AGREE):

  • Taking action to save electricity is the right thing to do, even if it takes some effort.

  • Everybody should take action to save electricity.

Habit

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements (answers are provided on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from STRONGLY DISAGREE to STRONGLY AGREE):

  • Taking action to save electricity has become a habit for me.

  • I was taught to take action to save electricity since very young age.

Sociodemographic Questions

Kindly provide some additional information about yourself. We will treat these information confidentially, and we will only analyze the data in aggregate and anonymous form.

  • Your gender

    • Male

    • Female

    • I prefer not to answer.

  • Your age

    • .............

    • I prefer not to answer.

  • Your ethnicity

    • Chinese

    • Malay

    • Indian

    • Other: .............

    • I prefer not to answer.

  • Your highest degree of education

    • Compulsory education

    • Secondary education

    • Pre-university and post-secondary studies

    • Vocational education

    • University degree

    • Postgraduate degree

    • I prefer not to answer.

  • Your income

    • Less than 4,000 SGD

    • Between 4,000 SGD and 7,500 SGD

    • Between 7,500 SGD and 11,000 SGD

    • Between 11,000 SGD and 15,500 SGD

    • Between 15,500 SGD and 30,000 SGD

    • More than 30,000 SGD

    • I prefer not to answer.

Appendix B: Reduced Model

See Fig. 6

Fig. 6
figure 6

Reduced model of electricity saving behavior. Notes: Visualization of the reduced model, where the direct path between social norms and habit has been suppressed. Standardized path coefficients estimated with maximum likelihood. The insignificant path is indicated by a dashed arrow. (n.s.) nonsignificant, *p <0.1, **p <0.05, ***p <0.01

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Cecchini, M. (2020). Promoting Electricity Conservation in Singapore. In: Quah, E., Schubert, R. (eds) Sustainability and Environmental Decision Making. Sustainable Development . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6093-4_11-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6093-4_11-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-6093-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-6093-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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