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NUDGE Policy brief and poster – Profiling and nudging energy consumers to heat efficiently

NUDGE is set up to analyse people’s behaviour, design and test nudging interventions in five EU Member States in households, energy communities and schools. In NUDGE, a broad range of methodologies, tools and approaches are used: field experiments and surveys, qualitative and quantitative research methods, stakeholder consultation as well as automated and manual collection of pilot data.

Most of the research and experimentation is focused on the design of policies and the formulation of recommendations specific to each country and consumer profile! Aside from measures such as using more energy-efficient appliances or renovating homes, understanding and changing user behaviour (e.g. what motivates to turn down the heat) is an essential and impactful part of reducing energy consumption and is the primary focus of this policy brief. The profiles are based on the research done by NUDGE, following an Europe-wide online survey, made available in 15 languages and completed by people in 29 countries which broke fresh ground in the study of energy-related behaviour by operationalizing three theoretical models of human behaviour.

The results were used to profile energy consumers and understand their behaviour in relation to energy efficiency. In addition, a poster summarises findings from the policy brief focusing on how to nudge each profile to heat more efficiently.