Measuring household energy efficiency behaviors with attention to behavioral plasticity in the United States

Household energy consumption remains ripe for behavioral intervention, being responsible for an estimated 31% of U.S. CO2 emissions. As researchers attempt to understand the factors that influence household energy efficiency behaviors, we suggest it is important to attend to behavioral plasticity-how the perceived difficulty of behavioral responses varies across individuals, behaviors, and contexts. We present a new instrument composed of behaviors identified in previous analyses as having the highest impact on residential energy consumption. Our instrument allows for the specific measurement of self-reported behaviors, behavioral intentions, and inability to perform behaviors. Results from a convenience sample of 1522 U.S. adults demonstrate the construct validity of this instrument, as key factors known to influence pro-environmental behaviors-e.g., key environmental beliefs and attitudes-predict household energy efficiency behaviors.