Citation
  • Tregebov, S., Raza, A., Keleher, A., and Mehta, L. (2025). Energy Behaviour Programs: Analysis and Strategic Recommendations.

Executive Summary

Recognition of the role of human behaviour in achieving energy savings is increasing, with a heightened focus on the development and implementation of Behavioural Energy Programs (BEPs) as a key mechanism for reducing energy consumption and managing energy demand. These programs employ various strategies to influence how people use energy in their homes, from providing personalized feedback through home energy reports to implementing automated demand response programs.

A review of nine meta-analyses that focus on BEPs for promoting energy conservation reveals the effectiveness of the programs can vary considerably. The literature indicates that the most consistently successful programs tend to include high-touch, personalized interventions such as home audits, personalized savings tips tailored to specific household characteristics, and real-time feedback via in-home displays.

Many commonly used BEP strategies show mixed or inconsistent results. Providing asynchronous individual feedback (seeing a summary of information about one’s own energy usage) can be effective, but results may vary based on the program context (e.g., resident populations, geography and climate, income levels). Similarly, asynchronous social comparison feedback (i.e., a summary of information comparing household energy usage to neighbours) and financial incentives can be effective but require careful implementation to avoid negative outcomes such as increased energy usage. There are also BEP strategies that consistently show limited to no impact on energy use behaviours, such as generic energy-saving tips and general education campaigns. Overall, the literature suggests that the effects of BEPs are modest, typically reducing energy consumption by 1.87% to 3.9% when successful; however, effect sizes vary widely across programs (-55% to +30%).

Furthermore, the foundational evidence for BEPs poses several limitations. The available evidence is concentrated on a narrow range of intervention types and goals, focusing primarily on informational and financial interventions to promote overall demand reduction in residential settings. This limited range of interventions leaves gaps in understanding the effectiveness of other interventions and those used within commercial settings and demand response programs. There are also methodological limitations to the existing evidence. Studies tend to be short-term (three months or less), have small sample sizes, and use less rigorous methodologies. Typically, longer-term research studies and larger sample sizes provide more reliable, generalizable, and statistically robust findings by reducing the impact of random variations and increasing the confidence in observed trends or effects.

To address these challenges and enhance BEP effectiveness, several opportunities for standards and standards-based solutions are described. First, standardized definitions should be established for energy behaviour and program types to enable better comparison and evaluation across programs. Second, design and implementation standards should set minimum requirements for program design while maintaining flexibility for innovation and local adaptation. These prospective standards should include protocols for program validation and pilot testing, guidelines for the engagement of interested parties, frameworks for ethical considerations, and requirements for evaluation planning. Third, measurement and evaluation standards should create robust frameworks for assessing program impact, including standardized metrics and data collection methods, privacy and data-handling protocols, and guidelines for evaluation time frames and methodologies. Finally, practical resources should be developed, such as a centralized repository of program resources and best practices, training programs for utility companies and other practitioners, case studies and implementation guides, and tools for program design and evaluation.

Based on the review of nine meta-analyses on energy conservation, there are several areas related to BEPs that warrant further investigation. These include how to encourage the incubation and rigorous evaluation of innovative behavioural strategies and how to scale evidence-based strategies.

Standards and resources would aim to bridge the gap between research and practice, enabling more effective and consistent implementation of BEPs while maintaining flexibility for innovation and local adaptation. Ongoing collaboration between utilities, regulators, researchers, and other interested parties will promote standards that are practical and relevant while improving program outcomes. Moving forward, BEPs will benefit from the strategic planning, resources, and frameworks that come from the development of standards.