How Message Framing Can Help Explain Energy User Motivations

Residential users of energy account for over 22 percent of US energy consumption and are expected to account for 21 percent of total greenhouse emissions by 2020. As a result, governments and utility companies attempt to affect ratepayer (residential) behavior by providing energy efficiency (EE) programs. However, prior research shows that in polls of respondents that have EE programs available to them, the majority indicates they have not received information or education regarding these programs. In order for the EE programs offered by both utility providers and the government to be effective, it is important that they have a comprehensive understanding of the ratepayer and their motivations in order to provide valuable message framing. This will lead to more successful communication and a higher level of awareness for such programs.

In “Enhanced Understanding of Energy Ratepayers: Factors Influencing Perceptions of Government Energy Efficiency Subsidies and Utility Alternative Energy Use,” Christopher A. Craig and Myria W. Allen use demographic measures and responses to gain- versus loss-framed messages to determine respondents’ understanding of EE programs, as well as attitudes toward government subsidies for these programs, and utility provider use of clean or alternative energy. A phone survey was administered to residents in four counties throughout a predominantly rural southern state. The final sample comprised 2,058 total respondents, with data collected between June 12 and August 15, 2012. The authors measure pro-environmental behavior such as the purchasing of CFL light bulbs, which every respondent in the survey received discounts or coupons to purchase via an EE program. Lack of knowledge of these coupons implies a lack of knowledge regarding the program.

The authors find that 36 percent of respondents correctly said their utility provider offered a subsidy to purchase CFL bulbs, but 28 percent said they did not (incorrectly), and 36 percent said they did not know. Further, awareness of the EE program does not impact ratepayer attitudes toward government subsidies, but unaware respondents are less supportive of the use of clean/alternative energy. They find that Democrats and women are more likely to support subsides and clean/alternative energy use and younger individuals are only more likely to support alternative energy, not government subsidies. Race, county, income, and wealth are not significant predictors of perceptions towards either government subsidies or alternative energy use by the utility provider. While demographics are informative, message framing provides much more insight for utility providers.

A gain-framed message is one that includes positive language such as “help,” whereas loss-framed messaging implies negativity using language like “harm.” Craig and Allen find loss-framed messaging is more explanatory for support of government subsidies. Alternatively, gain- and loss-framed messaging is associated with support for clean/alternative energy. The authors find that when attempting to affect planned behavior, loss-framed messaging is the most effective. These are also the most effective messages to use if ratepayers are unaware of an environmental issue or find it difficult to understand. As individuals become more aware, gain-framed messaging is the most effective. These trends in messaging should be taken into account when determining policy applications.

The majority of residential customers in this study that have access to EE programs are not aware of their availability. The authors help to explain how framing can be used to effect involvement in these programs, but the delivery of the message is still an unaddressed problem. With auto-draft and online account management, it is likely that several efforts to highlight EE programs are not actually reaching customers. While message framing is clearly important for policy implementation, the first step is to understand how to reach the consumers. Once that problem has been addressed, utility providers and the government can maximize EE participation through a demographically targeted and, most likely, loss-framed messaging campaign.

Article Source: Christopher A. Craig and Myria W. Allen,”Enhanced Understanding of Energy Ratepayers: Factors Influencing Perceptions of Government Energy Efficiency Subsidies and Utility Alternative Energy Use,” Energy Policy, Volume 66 (March 2014): 224-233.

Feature Photo: cc/(Lorenzo Mercado)