Understanding Energy Consumption Behavior

Energy Consumption Feedback for Commercial and Industrial Customers

A number of studies have been conducted in the residential sector to identify the impact of providing comparative consumption feedback to consumers, mainly through utility bills that either show trends in that customer's energy use or allow the customer to compare her own energy consumption to that of other, "similar" customers.

Our current research extends such analysis into the commercial and industrial sector, and considers other media for communicate energy use trends and relevant comparisons. We are developing an understanding of how businesses receive, process, and use utility bill information to make choices about energy use; what additional information might be useful to businesses; and what additional delivery mechanisms might be effective.