This is a very thought provoking article in that it attempts to offer a rationale for a potentially radical government policy to engage householders in energy-saving behaviour change. Crucially it looks at this option through the lens of recognised psychological phenomena, which adds further weight to its arguments.

The crux of the article is one that focuses on something that is increasingly material to many people in this country; money. Will paying people to reduce energy use result in the desired outcome?

In which case the following question needs to be asked; if the lure of saving money directly on one’s energy bill not enough motivation to change behaviour, how much more money do people need to be paid to reduce the amount of energy they use?

The statement of the article: “Feed-in-Tariffs (FiTs) have been a widely adopted policy tool to promote the growth in renewable energy. An intriguing new report suggests how they might be used to also save energy.”

Read the full article by Laurence Webb here.