How to promote energy-saving attitudes with nudges: Evidence from Hungary

Energy conservation may be critical for mitigating the devastating consequences of climate change. To examine the drivers of energy-saving behavior, we investigated the temperature that young adults consider as ideal in their homes and the factors that may influence this choice. In an experimental s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Richárd Szántó, Borbála Szüle, Judit Gáspár
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-12-01
Series:Sustainable Futures
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825006495
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Summary:Energy conservation may be critical for mitigating the devastating consequences of climate change. To examine the drivers of energy-saving behavior, we investigated the temperature that young adults consider as ideal in their homes and the factors that may influence this choice. In an experimental setting, we applied two interventions (a default nudge and information disclosure) separately and in combination. Contrary to intuition, the most substantial energy-saving impact was triggered by mere information disclosure in the form of highlighting the World Health Organization’s recommendations about maintaining a safe and well-balanced indoor temperature. We also examined the effects of concerns about climate change and energy security. Our results revealed that while climate-change-related worries did not have a significant impact, those who were highly worried about the security of energy provision were willing to tolerate much lower temperatures in their homes under some conditions. These findings suggest that simply disclosing choice-relevant information (related to health and energy savings) may efficiently promote energy-saving decisions.
ISSN:2666-1888