Effects of mixed normative feedback strategies on residents' energy conservation in shared spaces

Normative feedback has been shown to be effective in reducing energy use, but its impact is often temporary rather than sustained. To address this issue, mixed normative feedback strategies have been proposed as a potential solution for achieving more effective and lasting energy savings. However, the effectiveness of these strategies can vary significantly depending on the combinatory choices and social contexts in which they are implemented. Despite the potential benefits of mixed normative feedback strategies, it is currently unclear which mixed normative feedback strategies can effectively and sustainably promote energy conservation among residents in shared spaces. To address this gap, this study designed three mixed normative feedback strategies and conducted a 28-week field-controlled experiment to assess their effectiveness in motivating residents in shared dorms to save electricity. The Difference-in-Difference analysis was employed to evaluate their effectiveness. The results showed that the strategy mixing normative feedback with group-contrast feedback exhibited the greatest energy savings, with an average of 12.93 % after 5 weeks and 8.75 % after 12 weeks. The strategy combining normative feedback and instruction-based information failed to generate significant energy savings in the short term, but the inclusion of self-contrast feedback resulted in a significant 7.73 % reduction in energy consumption. Compared with single normative feedback, the mixed normative feedback strategies exhibited a more sustained energy savings after they were withdrawn. However, the sustained energy-saving effect was also found to decrease over time but at a slower rate than the single normative feedback. Therefore, further investigation is necessary to ensure long-term energy savings. These findings provide valuable insights and recommendations on how to use mixed normative feedback strategies to motivate residents to conserve energy in shared spaces, including the need to consider combinatory choices, intervention duration, and social contexts. © 2024 The Author(s)